Kakumei
by YaoiSongstress07
Summary: 1st Gravitation fic. In the midst of Tokyo's darkest rainstorm, Shuichi storms out of Yuki's home. The vocalist vanishes, beginning a journey through love and angst. Will a prince be able to rescue his true love? Find out!
1. Prelude

Hello! Welcome to my first Gravitation fic, 'Kakumei'! I've put my widdle heart and soul into planning this project, but I'm a wee bit nervous. I spent the last couple of weeks eating up inspiration, and I read so many miraculous Gravitation fics. This project's very close to my heart, but I'm taking a huge risk on this-there are so many phenomenal Gravitation authors, and I feel like a wee novice. I'm going to try my best with this; I hope I can do justice to not only this category, but to the authors that have inspired me as well.

Almost all of 'Kakumei' is set in Japan. The finale is set in the New York, on New Year's Eve. This occurs during the end of 2005, since I created it during that time period. I know it's a little late, but don't laugh at me. Hee hee! Suu.

I was inspired by a lot of Gravi fics, but a lot of music inspired me as well. The theme song of 'Kakumei' is Imogen Heap's 'Can't Take It In', which is featured on one of the Narnia soundtracks. 'About Her' from the Kill Bill 2 soundtrack played an important role too. For more info-winfo on the soundtrack I made for my widdle creation, read my widdle profile! Suuu!

_When it comes to Gravitation, I own nothing. I don't own the characters; I own nothing from the series. The only thing I own is the PLOT. Please note that I don't claim the music used for the development of this fic either. Thank you very much for your time. I would also like to state that there is one **huge** difference from the manga/anime in here; the public embraces Shuichi's relationship with Yuki. They see it as weird... yet dangerous and exciting._

_I am open to all reviews/constructive criticism, ESPECIALLY since I'm going up against the big dogs here, BUT **I DO NOT ACCEPT FLAMES**. ONCE AGAIN, **I DO NOT ACCEPT FLAMES.** A note to those that want to say there is no Christmas in Japan (someone left a flame in another Gravi fic stating this)-THIS IS WORK OF IMAGINATION. For those of you that are unfamiliar with me, I would like to say that I'm the mortal enemy of flames._

_I would like to take this time to make several dedications. LaDiDaanifan, Hime Neko, Kiira-chan, kanji-sensei, Sanzo Chic, RomanceNovelistYuki4563, Kiwi Ninamori, Leeren, Lady Laurannia, PirateGoddess27, Keesa, Koneko, and every other Gravi author-thank you for inspiring me. _

_Wish me luck!

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_Theme of 'Prelude': 'Where' by Lisbeth Scott, the intro of 'Can't Take It In' by Imogen Heap. Please note that the Koji Osakaya restaurant is a true restaurant, not a work of my imagination.

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The world was covered in a special kind of exuberance; the kind of exuberance that stirred up the deepest of memories. Every inch of the word was blanketed in vitality; the streets were radiant with promises, and the skies were filled with songs of immortal hope. There was a certain individual that stood as the personification of joy; if someone had said that he was responsible for the world's bliss, they wouldn't have been too far off the mark. He dwelled in the place known as Japan, and it was very lucky to have such a bright, jubilant star within its grasp.

Infinite sheets of rain were drenching the streets of Japan, and they stirred up hundreds of emotions in Japan's residents. Many greeted the parade with open arms; others shrugged it off, and others tossed the parade aside scornfully. The personification of happiness, of course, was far away from the land of disgust; he was too busy wandering through the golden land of joy. He loved the rain-he even loved rainstorms. His dearest friend told others that he would enjoy watching an ant build an empire, and none of them made any arguments on that. The young, vigorous star was filled with the spice of life; he didn't have time to be bored. If someone had said that he would enjoy himself at a _power plant_, they wouldn't be too far off the mark either.

The Koji Osakaya restaurant was serving as their shield from the rain; the young star had developed a desire for lunchtime, and so his friend decided to treat him to something special. They were on break from one of the year's biggest tasks:

Christmas shopping.

The star's companion was burdened with the heaviest burden of all; a hyped-up bunny rabbit. Of course the burden wasn't an actual rabbit-it was the star himself. Many loved to compare him to a puppy; others said that he was actually cuter than a puppy. The only difference between the star and a baby-faced animal was that animals didn't have the ability to produce speech at hyper speeds.

"_Wow! It sure is coming down out there! It's really pretty though, isn't it Hiro? You think it's gonna go on forever? I sure hope so-it's really beautiful out there! The sound of rain makes me feel like writing for some reason. I feel really warm and happy inside-it's hard to explain, but a lot of fun!"_

"Since when are you _not _warm and happy?" Hiroshi Nakano asked his friend sarcastically, looking as if he had just heard the worst joke on the planet. His friend had the cutest of smiles on; he was a starry-eyed puppy, lost in the depths of one thing.

_**Love.**_

Hiro's question went by ignored, but the ignorance wasn't made with harmful intentions. The puppy was too busy running through his own world.

"We got a lot done, don't you think? I wonder if we'll be able to finish today!"

The 'puppy' carried the name of Shuichi Shindou, and that name carried the essence of resplendent passion. It sent shivers through the hearts of many, but none of those shivers were venomous; they were all crafted from the depths of fervent excitement. The vocalist of Bad Luck was truly no different from a young canine, for he had eyes that shamed the brightest of gems, and his smiles never failed to defy description. He seemed to be impenetrable, for his enthusiasm had the power to barricade through any negative energy. His short pink hair alone captivated many hearts, and his eyes would have brought the greatest jewels to tears.

A moment of silence passed between them; it was the first period of silence in hours. During that silence, Shuichi's face turned a bright shade of red. His mind had wandered to the one that had stolen his heart-his new shade of red made that perfectly clear. His flushes of embarrassment were perfect pieces of evidence.

"I hope Yuki likes his gift. I took me all day to find the perfect one!"

Right here the young vocalist's eyes closed, and his face took on a radiance that surpassed comprehension. His eyes were closed, but there was a smile on his face-and it was a true smile of inexplicable happiness. He looked like a lost soul that had been given the most beautiful treasure...**_the look on his face would have brought someone to tears. _**The adorable display of sweet bliss brought about another effect on Hiro, though-he felt a sharp blade pierce his heart. He kept up a smile on his own face, but it was hard for him to ignore the blade of disgust.

The one responsible for stealing Shuichi's heart wasn't exactly...**_worthy _**of the puppy's affection. The mere thought of Shuichi's 'fairy tale prince' caused his stomach to turn sour.

_Blegh. That bastard doesn't deserve a nickel from you. You've given him too much already._

He couldn't say what was on his mind. He just couldn't. He **_hated _**seeing Shuichi's face fall. Making the vocalist sad was no different from committing mass murder in his eyes.

_**And Shuichi was very much in love. No different from an ecstatic child in candy land.**_

"We should probably finish up tomorrow, pal. We can do too much in this kind of weather."

The puppy's face fell, but the devastation wasn't incurable.

Hiro grinned at him merrily.

"Aw, come on. Don't take it too hard. There's always tomorrow, and besides-the party's waiting for us. Can't be out too long! You're finished, right?"

Shuichi took one last look at his ramen bowl, then gave him a look that would have brought about an explosion of cavities.

"Yeah. Thank you!"

"No problem. Here."

Hiro gave his umbrella to his friend, and received a frown of deep concern in return.

"But you'll be drenched without-"

"Nah, no big deal." Hiro said to him kindly, shrugging the storm off as if he were about to talk a walk in the park. He and Shuichi were the best of friends...but Nakano had a burning desire to be more than just the vocalist's friend. Words couldn't do justice to the love he had...even though his friend's heart was captured by another. He took no time to care for himself; Shuichi's safety was always the first thing on his mind. "I'll be fine. I just don't want you to end up **_soaking wet. _**Now come on."

In mere seconds, the vigorous puppy bounded out of the restaurant, launching into another journey through excitement. Hiro kept up a slow pace behind him, watching over him...with the devotion of a passionate guardian.

"_It's amazing out here! I've never seen it rain so much! Hiro, let's share your umbrella!"_

"I don't **_want _**to share it. Use it for yourself!"

"_But-"_

"_How many times do I have to say this? Keep it for yourself!" _Hiro cried out over the rain, unable to hold back warm laughter. _"I'm fine! I love the rain!"_

"_It's too bad you didn't bring your bicycle! We could have ridden it in the rain! Wouldn't that have been fun?"_

A gentle sigh withdrew itself from Hiroshi's mouth. Raindrops draped themselves over him...as his mind wandered to thoughts of unrequited love. His childhood friend, the personification of love and happiness, was right in front of him...drinking in the beauty of the enigmatic night. Others were disgusted by the turbulent storm, but he was embracing it with the vitality of a child; he enjoyed life and everything life had to offer.

The vocalist of Bad Luck merrily made his way throughout the streets, carrying his parade of gifts as if they were nothing more than twigs. Silvery white raindrops drenched his face, and caused wisps of his pink hair to lock themselves onto his face. The raindrops were enriching his pure, innocent beauty-each of them seemed to be smiling with pride at the magic they were creating. His best friend slowly followed him, savoring the exuberance each raindrop had to offer...and the light of his best friend. The storm was rapid, yet enigmatic and beauty-it held a captivating aura to it.

_**Neither of them knew that the storm was about to turn ugly.**_

Hiro was unaware of this, but his beloved star was about to vanish.

_**The true storm was on its way.

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**_

It's the end of the first chapter! I hope it was enjoyable! Me putty-wutt lots and lots of HEART into it, yes we did precious! Hee hee hee! I want to continue, but reality is weaving its UGLY web upon me...ick. I feel sick just thinking about it.

_**The plot is about to kick into high gear! Yippee! It's going to be filled with angst and pain and TEARS! Heh heh heh heh...PAIN IS GOOD!**_

I will try my hardest to update as soon as possible, but here's a hint to the next chapter: Eiri Yuki's about to make a **_biiiig _**mistake. The Christmas party's at his house, courtesy of Shuichi...stay tuned!

Once again, I am open to all reviews/constructive criticism. HOWEVER, I AM NOT OPEN TO FLAMES. PLEASE DON'T CONFUSE A 'BAD' REVIEW WITH A FLAME!

_**Thank you all very much!**_


	2. Rainstorm

Welcome to 'Rainstorm', the second chapter of 'Kakumei'! I'm glad this got off to a good start! I was pretty nervous about the first chapter, but now I have a lot more confidence! I would like to give a big thank you to my first two reviewers, and PLEASE CONTINUE TO ENJOY! Yayness!

Things are about to get pretty hot! And it's only the second chapter! Everything's about to kick right into gear! I'm so excited! Yipeeness!

I would like to make a very special dedication to LaDiDaanifan, the author of 'Leaving Affections'. That fic is easily the best Gravi fic I've read so far. I would like also like to extend a special 'thank you' to Shuichi's Darling, who has reviewed many other Gravi fics in the past. Thank you all of you!

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_Theme of 'Rainstorm': 'Mystical Princess' by Masashi Hamauzu

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The enigmatic night carried itself through the stream of time, and kept a watch over a young star and his friend. Rain poured itself into the stitches of their world, radiant with the composure of thunderous prophecies. There were strong winds, but they were blissfully refreshing to many people, including the young star. The winds were vibrant, and at the moment they were keeping their true power hidden...they seemed to have no desire to display their power at the moment, but the perfect opportunity was about to present itself.

The hyped-up puppy, who was none other than Shuichi Shindou, continued down the road of incessant happiness, 'torturing' his companion with rapid streams of speech. Nothing could penetrate the star's barriers; the young one was practically lost in a fairy tale, infatuated with dreams that were usually found in the hearts of young children.

Hiroshi followed his dearest friend loyally, completely drenched in the storm's exuberant silence. He kept up a solid, frustrated exterior, making himself out to be an annoyed parent, but he was truly happy to be in the light of his dearest friend. A warm smile kept itself on his face as streams of vibrant happiness poured themselves into his ears, radiant with the melodious light of resounding bliss.

Thirty minutes elapsed before they found themselves at their destination. Shuichi's reaction to the arrival was expected; his face exploded with happiness, and his eyes lit up like crystals.

"_We're here! _It feels as if we just started our day. Strange, huh?"

"Everything about you is strange." Hiro shook his head, feigning frustration. Warmth exploded in his eyes...as he drifted even more into his best friend's eyes. The vocalist of Bad Luck opened the door to Eiri Yuki's house, acting as if he were about to reveal the greatest treasure of all. Both of them were instantly greeted by Suguru and Tohma, two happy guests.

"_Shindou! Welcome back! I see you dragged Hiro all throughout Japan!"_

"_Welcome back, you two. I hope the storm treated you well."_

Shuichi took on Tohma Seguchi's greeting, and Hiroshi answered Suguru Fujisaki's. The second greeting belonged to none other than the gentle Seguchi, and the vocalist answered him with a smile.

"Thanks! We'll finish up tomorrow. We did a pretty good job!"

An accusation from the playful Fujisaki followed those words, and received a playful frown.

"Shuichi, Hiro just told me that you forced him to stand out in the rain. Is that true?"

The puppy's face fell; he looked as if he had been accused of the worst crime imaginable. He playfully delivered a barrage of fists to his friend, and received laughter in return. "That's not true at all!" the vocalist cried out, offended by the 'horrific' accusation. "I didn't do anything! He **_gave _**me his stupid umbrella!"

"I didn't say anything like that, Suguru." Hiroshi said gently, bringing a halt to the flow of blows. "Shuichi's right-I soaked myself for his sake. Speaking of being cold, why don't you go warm yourself up, Shu? I bet you're freezing."

An immeasurably warm smile lit up the vocalist's face, and fell into his eyes. His friend was always looking out for him; he had done so every since the beginning of time. Hiro cared for him...a lot.

"Thanks Hiro, but I'm okay. You should spend some time worrying about yourself, you know."

Hiro snatched his friend's bags playfully and spoke to him in the manner of an old-fashioned schoolteacher. "I'll do that later." he said firmly, his eyes twinkling like stars. "Why don't we go up and see your beloved 'you-know-who'? He's up in his bedroom."

Shuichi's face lit up for one second, but the smile turned into a frown almost instantly. "He isn't **_sleeping, _**is he?" he asked, sounding like a child that had been asked to give up chocolate. Hiro shook his head, laughing at his friend.

"No. Don't think so. He's probably just working. You know Yuki-he's not too big on all of this cheer..."

"Well, Shuichi _did _overdo things a little..." Suguru murmured playfully, scanning the jubilant displays of Christmas cheer. Hiroshi glared at him the way a parent would glare at an offending child.

"Why don't you do me a favor and _stand in front of traffic?"_

An opportunity to attack Hiro was available for a second, then Hiro took Shuichi by the hand and smiled.

"Come on. We don't have to take this."

The two of them removed themselves from the vibrant festivities by making their way upstairs. Once again Shuichi held the lead, and Hiro silently followed him, assaulted by a flow of delirious bliss. This flow was silent; even when Shuichi had his mouth closed, his heart was vivaciously loud. His face would have made the perfect lantern, for it was jubilantly bright, and his eyes beamed with happiness all the way up. The mere thought of his 'Prince Charming' brought tears to his eyes; he was a youthful soul lost in an undying dream...

_A dream that was actually a nightmare._

Seconds passed, and the two of them arrived at Yuki's bedroom door. Shuichi placed his hand on the doorknob, but instead of opening it, he took one last look at Hiro.

"Hiro...do you _really _think he's going to like his present?"

Hiro had to wrestle between two desires; the desire to strangle Eiri Yuki to death, and the desire to bring a smile to his friend's face. He envied the novelist, and hated him for the treatment he gave Shuichi...he was also saddened by Shuichi's delirious infatuation. The revered author had the affection of the brightest star...and chose to treat it like a bag of venomous waste.

Unfortunately, Shuichi was completely _oblivious _to the poor treatment...

...and so...once again...**_he had to lie._**

"Of course he'll like it. He'll-"

An arrow pierced Hiro's heart a second later, and silenced him. His eyes became stern, and he took on the look of a vigilant canine. Something had caught his attention, but what?

"What's up?"

The warm smile that had been on Hiro's face quickly became a dream. His face became steely, and his eyes filled with cold hatred. _Something was upsetting him...and it seemed to be something beyond the door. _He looked like a dog that had just picked up the scent of a murderer.

"Move over."

Tension replaced the young vocalist's high level of happiness, and gave him the look of a fearful puppy. He looked as if he had been told to sit out in the rain, without any kind of shelter. Without a word he obeyed his friend's order...and his friend placed a hand on the doorknob. The vocalist felt as if he were in the middle of some horror film.

A moment of silence elapsed between them, then Hiro twisted the doorknob.

"Hiro, what's gotten-"

The door slowly opened...

_**And revealed a sight that broke Shuichi's heart.**_

A gasp tore itself from the Shindou's mouth, and he stepped back in horror.

_A cold hand of hatred gripped Hiro's heart._

Two bodies were before them, entangled in passionate displays of affection. Both of them were on their feet, but their show wouldn't have been any different if they had been between the sheets. A woman was wrapped in the fervent embrace of a man, completely devoid of clothing...and drunk with ecstasy. The man was as drunk as she was, completely lost in uncontrollable lust.

The man was none other than Shuichi's prince.

Hiroshi stood in front of his friend, wanting to shield the one he loved from the horrific sight...but nothing could be done to remove the sight. Shuichi's eyes, which were now radiant with shock, glued themselves to the two bodies...unable to shake off the disgust flowing through him. The sight alone was enough to break him, but the true storm was about to begin.

After several moments of heavy breathing, the woman (who was a complete stranger to both Shuichi and Hiro) asked her lover a question, her face twisted in corrupted passion.

"So...what about your boy toy?"

The look on Yuki's face shattered Shuichi the way a rock shattered a window.

"Who are you talking about?"

"You know...what's-his-face...that baby-faced kid...uhhh..."

"_Him?"_

The laughter Yuki sent through the air made Hiro think of a diabolical maniac.

"He's not much. The half-assed twit drives me insane. I can barely even think of him without wanting to _chuck _myself into some damned river."

"But I thought..."

"Well, you've got nothing to worry about. The little bastard's a fucking menace. He destroys everything he touches, the sound of his voice is enough to drive me to insanity, and he's a **_pain in the ass. _**I thought him kicking out many, **_many _**times, but what the hell? Why should I place such a huge burden on someone else, right? And besides, he amuses me...in a way."

Hiro took one look at Shuichi-

-and felt his heart **_shatter _**in his throat.

Cold wrath pierced the Nakano's eyes.

He dropped the bags...flipped on the light-

"_Hey pal, guess who's here!"_

A gasp tore itself from Yuki's mouth.

His lady friend gasped, hastily put on her clothing and dashed from the room.

Silence rushed into the room...and filled it with tension was excruciatingly high.

Hiro's wrathful, vengeful eyes kept themselves on Yuki...who looked as if he had just been caught in the middle of a crime.

Shuichi's eyes filled with oceans.

The young one was no longer oblivious; everything was perfectly. He bore a resemblance to a child that had been betrayed by the one they loved the most...for he looked as if his soul was about to break.

Everything he had believed in...the one he had loved...

Shuichi was now exposed to everything his heart feared.

_Deep down...I knew you didn't love me...but I kept on dreaming, kept on waiting...I kept on HOPING..._

Seconds passed...Yuki made his way over to the young vocalist, his eyes filled with fervent guilt...**_and fear._**

Shuichi stepped away from him, looking as if he were being approached by a total stranger.

"Shuichi, I-"

_**All of their lives changed with Shuichi's words.**_

"Yuki...I'm sorry."

At an alarming speed, the young vocalist dashed out of the room...blinded by oceans yet driven by thunderous sorrow. The lights of his home, the warm decorations...the happiness he had spent an eternity in...everything faded away from him...as he gave into the rainstorm of pain within his broken soul. Urgent voices chased after him, but human speech became foreign to him...blocked out by an explosion of newborn sorrow. His heart was no longer able to pulsate with the rhythm of happiness...his chest was painfully tight with sobs...

_Life was no longer a dream._

_Everything...everything was dead._

The skies found themselves in the company of Shuichi Shindou once again after a few minutes, but his return was not a joyous one. The winds were now releasing their true power upon the world; the city was lost among the darkness of a never-ending storm. The skies were completely black...the winds were viciously cold...the sheets of rain were eternal...

It was all a reflection of the vocalist's heart.

He had spent an eternity in a realm of happiness.

**_He was now lost in the darkness of deceitful truth._**

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What will happen next? Why did Yuki become guilty after exposing the 'truth'? Is the novelist really the coldhearted, soulless wretch he appears to be, or is there more to him? Hee hee...

You know what? If the characters of _Gravitation _were put into _Ceres: Celestial Legend, _Hiro would be Yuhi Aogiri, Yuki would be Toya, and Shuichi would be none other than Aya! Hee hee...su!

I'll be back soon! Have fun, and happy reading!


	3. Night

Welcome to 'Night'! I hope you're all enjoying yourselves so far! Thank you for supporting my little story! I really appreciate it!

Everything's kicked into high gear. Please continue to enjoy yourselves, and remember: NO FLAMES, PLEASE! FLAMES ARE NOT APPRECIATED. However, all reviews, good or bad, are ALWAYS welcome! Thank you very much for your time!

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_Theme song of 'Night': Mystical Princess by Masashi Hamauzu. 'About Her' from Kill Bill 2 is the theme for the last half of the chapter.

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Minutes flew by like hours, but at the same time, they held the merciless potency of seconds. The center of the storm caught the tension of Hiroshi Nakano in a flash-the loyal friend of Shuichi Shindou had dashed after the young one in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, the night's darkness caused his desperate cries to fall into silence; the thunder didn't allow the passage of human voices. The power of the rainstorm was just too great to overwhelm.

He was in the center of a street, drenched in the blanket of undying darkness. Just a few minutes ago he had been satiated in the refreshing winds of happiness, and now he was trapped in a world he barely recognized. The small figure of his friend was no longer in his sight; the night's darkness didn't allow his voice to reach Shuichi, and it was eager to swallow up any broken soul. Not another soul was around, and the winds were dangerously loud; the entire world seemed to be lost in eternal darkness.

His eyes desperately searched for the beloved vocalist, but no relief came in any form. He could see nothing but the sheets of black before him; the entire world seemed to have been painted black within the last couple of minutes, and everything was so bright before. His heart wanted to fly right out of its imprisonment...breathing became unbearably difficult as he realized one thing; his chase had come to an end.

Shuichi was nowhere to be found.

Several more cries tore themselves from his heart, and pierced the night air...but every single one of them fell into silence. After the last cry drifted into oblivion, he removed oceans of tears from his eyes...tried to regain enough strength to breathe...and removed his cell phone from his pocket. It only took him a second to dial his best friend's number, for the young star was on speed dial.

The number 1 was going to be his gateway to one of two things: solid relief or devastation.

He placed his phone to his right ear and **_waited. _**Oceans of thunder held a vigil over him as his heart continued to drum against his chest. It refused to stop screaming...the phone wouldn't stop ringing...

_The fifth ring came._

Sixth...seventh...

"_Dammit, Shu! Answer me...please!"_

An answer came...but it wasn't the answer he wanted to hear. It wasn't from Shuichi himself-

"Hey! You've reached the one and only Shuichi Shindou! I'm not available right now, but feel free to leave a message! Check ya later!"

-the answer came from Shuichi's recorded message.

Hiro's chest tightened...and the entire world became even darker. The winds wouldn't stop howling, his heart wouldn't cease its screaming; he was in the middle of some strange nightmare, and there seemed to be no way out of it. After an eternity of silence, his phone rang...but the caller wasn't the caller he wanted to hear from.

"_**Hiro! What in the hell is going on? Everything okay?"**_

His chest became tighter. His mouth became even drier than the hottest dessert...as his best friend's smile flashed in his mind...

"I can't find him."

It was incredibly difficult to pick up a fragile voice in the midst of a huge thunderstorm. Suguru Fujisaki's tension rose even higher; that became apparent within the next few seconds. **_"What?" _**he cried out, bearing a great resemblance to a sergeant in the middle of a crisis. Hiro repeated his words...with his voice at a higher volume. It was still excruciatingly difficult to breathe, but somehow he managed to gather enough strength to speak.

"I said I can't find him! I lost him!"

"_**He's got to be somewhere! He couldn't have just disappeared!"**_

"_**I can't see a damn thing out here, and I'm pretty sure HE can't either! And he didn't answer my call! He always answers his phone!"**_

Suguru's voice became softer. Something big had happened in Eiri Yuki's bedroom; Shuichi was nowhere to be found, and Hiro was on edge. **_Something had gone horribly wrong._**

"All right! Calm down, Hiro! Everything's going to be fine! Just calm down and find your way back here! I'm sure Shuichi's going to pop up!"

Hiroshi ended the call and fell to his knees, feeling oceans soak his entire body. Just a few minutes ago, the night had been blissfully beautiful...now it was endlessly black and painful. His bright star had vanished into the night...and the entire world seemed to be in tears. His heart still refused to cease its belligerent pounding, and his head had become perilously light during Suguru's call...

...but he had to find his way back. He had to go back.

_Everything's gonna be fine...he'll be back soon. Suguru's right._

Time flew by at the unstoppable speed of light. Yuki's house was a hotbed of chaos: urgency was in the air, and it wasn't light. The air was severely thick with tension, so thick that it was almost unsuitable for human consumption. The guests that had stationed themselves downstairs, K, Tohma Seguchi, Reiji, Ark, Suguru and Yuuji, were lost in the depths of confusion; in mere seconds Shuichi had flown right out of the door, right after he had gone up to see the chief of the house.

The place that had once been cheerful was now a volcano of confusion. The guests exchanged worried glances and words with each other, feeling as if the entire world had tipped itself upside down in mere seconds. As always, K and Ark exchanged words, each bearing his own emotions; K bore the fire of an angered chieftain in his eyes, and his best friend had a similar expression within his own, even though his fire was a bit softer.

"What do you think happened up there?" Ark asked, narrowing his eyes in uncertainty. "I've never seen anyone run at such a high speed, let alone Shuichi! It's as if Eiri Yuki released some type of bomb on him!"

His friend rubbed at his chin; a habit he usually carried out during hectic periods of thought. "You probably aren't too far off the mark." he said, bearing the voice of vigilant FBI agent. "Shindou decided to throw himself into the night, Eiri Yuki's still up in his room...he's probably frozen with guilt about something. I think I've pretty much summed it up, but we'll get the lowdown from Nakano."

As if on cue, Hiroshi Nakano flew the door open...and kept himself in the doorway for a few excruciating moments. All eyes instantly flew to him, and his friends instantly realized one thing; he was alone, and horribly pissed off. His entire body was soaked in water; he looked as if he had dragged himself through the Atlantic Ocean for three straight months. His eyes were poisonous and deadly, filled with the fatal venom of a cobra...

Beams of urgent compassion filled the eyes of his friends, but each beam had a different effect on each individual. K's eyes took on the vigilance of a valiant, composed warrior, Reiji's eyes took on a motherly type of compassion, Tohma and Yuuji fell into the same wave of fear, Ark's eyes were no different from the eyes of a worried brother, and Suguru still had the look of a concerned army sergeant.

_**Hiro looked ready to kill.**_

"Are you all right?" Reiji asked him fearfully, bringing him into the house by his shoulders. A towel, courtesy of his brother, fell onto him a second later...but he seemed to be completely oblivious to anything but the thirst for revenge...

"Dry yourself off, bro! Come on, tell us what happened!"

"Why did Shuichi decide to bolt off like that?" a worried Suguru asked his friend, apparently uncomfortable with the rapid change of environment.

Another moment of intolerable silence followed those words. During that period of silence, Hiroshi used the towel to dry himself off, fuming at the seams with anger...the others kept their eyes on him and **_waited..._**

_**The breaking of the silence caused Reiji and Tohma to jump.**_

"I can't find him...he's out there, somewhere, and I lost him. Shuichi's out there in, all alone in **_that!"_**

Yuuji placed a hand on his brother's wet shoulder, evidently uncomfortable with seeing his brother in pain. The windows tried hold their ground against the powerful winds...but the storm's power refused to cease its growth. All of them listened in; the winds kept howling, the windows kept shivering...the lights began to flicker...

"Don't worry!" Yuuji said after another horrifying moment of silence, feeling fear sink into his own soul. "Shuichi's gonna come back! I'm sure of it!"

Hiro's eyes became as cold as ice, and so did his voice. His eyes whipped themselves onto another body, one that had just entered their world of chaos-

"_**I'm not so sure he's coming back anytime soon, thanks to that filthy bastard over there!"**_

Two waves of thunder struck the house...as all eyes shot **_straight _**Eiri Yuki.

Fear and confusion prompted Reiji to speak, but her opportunity to do so was completely shot out of the air, due to Hiro's sudden movements. He tore himself out of Yuuji's protection, shot right over to the silent novelist...**_and delivered a fierce blow to his face._**

Gasps tore themselves from Reiji, Tohma and Suguru. Tension shot through the roof as thunder continued to pulsate within the black skies. Anxiety exploded in Reiji's eyes, and gave her the strength she needed to speak.

"_**What do you think you're doing?"**_

Hiro began a barrage of attacks on the silent novelist, unleashing every bit of fury within every blow. He was not only angry but frustrated as well...and _scared._

"_**It's this scumbag's fault! Shuichi's gone and HE'S responsible! There's no other way around it!"**_

"**_Hey!" _**K shouted against the tirade of fury, taking the role of 'vigilant chieftain' for the fifth thousandth time. When things became tough, he always took a stand against the tides. **_"Cool it!"_**

"_**You went ahead and ruined everything, pretty boy! You had the best of the best and YOU THREW IT ALL AWAY!" **_

Hiro heard Reiji and Tohma gasp once again.

"_**That's right! We found loverboy tied up with some wench! You had it all and you GAVE IT ALL AWAY! We aren't too smart, now ARE we?"**_

"_**I said COOL IT ALREADY!"**_

K placed himself in between the two, bearing a resemblance to a coach that had to halt a fight between two opposing players. He kept the wrathful Nakano on one read; the enigmatic, silent novelist was on the other. Tohma instantly rushed to Yuki's aid, his gentle eyes radiant with sadness.

"_**Now you two can either duke it out like high school punks, or we can deal with this as ADULTS! What's it gonna be?"**_

Silence followed his question. Hiroshi's vengeful, sorrowful eyes kept themselves pasted on Yuki, who was currently in Tohma's care...

The silence gave K the answer he needed.

He whipped out his cell phone, opened it up...pressed a single button...

...and waited, just as Hiro had waited.

"Hey! You've reached-"

_Dammit, so he's not answering his phone._

"_Fine! _If he's not at that door in a few hours, we'll resume our attempts to call him. If our attempts to reach him _fall flat, _we'll ask around! If Shindou's not back by the afternoon, we'll file an M.P on him."

"An 'M.P.'?" Suguru asked him anxiously, his eyes filled with tension. K gave him a look that heightened the excruciating apprehension.

"A missing person's report."

All of their hearts **_fell._**

Intolerable silence tormented them for what felt like an eternity. Each of them wrestled with their own thoughts...their own _emotions. _The winds continued to pound against the windows viciously, bearing the savage desire for destruction...

The silence came to an end as soon as K whipped out his prized possessions. He was in mood for trivial arguments; his facial expression made that perfectly clear. He too looked ready to kill, but his ferocity came from a deeper tide of maturity.

"Now we're all going to _chill _for a few hours. Patience is a virtue, you know. All we have to do is **_wait. _**If he's not back by ten, we'll carry out our options. But for now..."

A dangerous smile bloomed on his face, and his eyes glimmered in the darkness.

"...let's sit still like _good little children. _After all, we can't go about jumping off the walls, now can we?"

The air became even **_heavier. _**It was now completely unfit for human consumption, especially since the atmosphere had been so cheery several minutes ago. All of them felt as if meteors had fallen into their house, and they had nowhere to turn. Just the mere thought of Shuichi being swallowed up by the merciless storm was enough to shatter their world, and the thought of a missing person's report didn't lighten too much of anything. Maddening silence returned to the house as the storm continued to strengthen their emotions...

Hiroshi gave one last look to the silent novelist, who had become his sworn enemy. Both pairs of eyes met each other; one pair was filled with emotions only Tohma could read, and the other pair was filled with cold hatred. Silence passed between them for another eternity, then Hiro's eyes became even deadlier than a cobra bite.

"You'd better keep your distance, **_playboy."_**

Not another word went between them.

Suguru made an attempt to comfort him, but his attempt fell before it even began; Hiro had made the decision to storm into another area of the house, unable to bear the sight of his enemy's face any longer. Silence returned to the house in a maddening flash of lightning, giving birth to explosions of pain within the hearts of the remaining individuals. The silence would have driven a stranger to the brink of insanity.

_Shuichi Shindou, the brightest star in all of Japan, the one that had filled all of their lives with sunlight..._

_...was now gone...and the entire world was **dark.**_

Reiji's fearful eyes fell onto Eiri Yuki, who had his head bowed. Only Tohma could see the emotions within his eyes; to the others, his emotions were unreadable.

"...Mr.Yuki, are you all right?"

Tohma's heart **_sank _**when a moment of silence elapsed. Yuki had a desire to speak...

...**_but the one he wanted to speak to was no longer around._**

Tohma's gentle eyes fell into Reiji's fearful ones. His soft voice was fragile, no different from a shard of glass. **_That same description could have easily been applied to Yuki's condition._**

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid Yuki-sama needs to return to his quarters."

The softhearted Seguchi lifted his companion off the ground, unable to keep his mind off of the emotions he saw within Yuki's eyes. His emotions were completely silent to the others, but he could see them perfectly...and they were excruciating to look at. Yuki was silent, which was a rare event; the novelist was rarely **_ever _**silent, unless he was immersed in his work. But even then he sent out a few streams of profanity during the occasional roadblocks. He was dead silent, and had lost the strength to even walk...

_I've only seen you like this once before. You were only this delicate once in your life. It as if that dreadful time has come back to haunt you._

Immersed in a new world of pain, Tohma lead the saddened Yuki into his bedroom...feeling the emotions of his companion sink right into his heart. Supporting Yuki was no different from carrying a bag of steel; he was burdened with an annihilative level of emotions. The only voices within the house belonged to K and Ark, and their voices were faint to him; the others were lost among the night's devilish silence. The decorations Shuichi had placed on the walls with loving care were no more than meaningless objects now; the Christmas cheer had died as soon as the star bolted from the house.

The expiration of two minutes found the two of them in even more silence. Tohma gently placed Yuki onto his bed, feeling like a mother in the midst of her child's pain. His object of affection was normally outspoken, brash and defiant; now he was no different from a zombie. Shuichi's decision to vanish was eventually going to give birth to devastation; Yuki's silent eyes made that clear. The novelist's eyes, which were solid pools, were locked onto the bags Hiro had dropped right before Shuichi's departure...and they were filled with impenetrable sadness. The winds continued to burrow themselves into his windows...as his eyes silently analyzed the bags.

Silence was present in the bedroom, but it was even worse than the silence downstairs. Tohma kept his heavy heart focused on the injured author, who could have easily been compared to a heartbroken animal. Half of Yuki's heart wanted to shrug off the pain, but that half was beaten down mercilessly.

The night's storm tormented them for what felt like an eternity...then Tohma made an attempt to lighten his companion's mood.

"Here now, why don't I get you some ice for those bruises of yours? Letting them sit won't bring about any benefits-"

The tone of Yuki's voice caused an ocean of arrows to strike Tohma's heart.

"**_Can it. _**I don't need you to play 'nursemaid'."

The Seguchi's face **_fell _**ten miles into the floor. Several long years passed before he found enough strength to speak...or were they just minutes?

"Don't worry. Shindou-sama will return soon, and the damage can be undone. Everything's going to be just fine."

Yuki rose from his place and slowly made his way over to the abandoned packages. The concept of reality became painfully foreign to him as he searched through each bag, looking for a certain gift. He found what he was looking for in no more than a minute; he lifted a square-shaped package out of one of the bags and stared at for an eternity. It didn't take half a second for Tohma to realize something; the gift was from none other than Shuichi. The package was lovingly wrapped up in red paper...and there was a beautiful gold bow on top.

Yuki stared at the gift for what felt like an eternity, frightening Tohma with his silent, enigmatic emotions. Several more years passed before he began to unwrap the gift, and every time his hands removed a piece of wrapping...tears shot into his eyes...and his fragile heart fell further and further into pain...

...pain he had only felt once before in his life.

A minute passed before the unveiling arrived. Beneath the wrapping was a beautiful box; one that held the ultimate result. The object on top of the box caught Yuki's attention, though...

_**It was a card.**_

Tohma watched him unwrap the card, still bearing the pain of a frightened mother. Every one of Yuki's movements increased the sadness within the air...and it made one fact painfully clear.

_**Shuichi was gone.**_

It was a beautiful card, one that was even more beautiful than the box. It was simple yet delicate, filled with the sweetness of a pure Christmas dream. The innocent beauty caused two tears to fall from the novelist's eyes...but the contents of the card broke the camel's back.

_Yuki,_

_I hope you like your present! It took me a while to find the perfect gift for you, but this had your name written all over it! It's a replacement for the one you have now; the one I damaged. I really hope you like it! I'll make sure your first Christmas is the greatest Christmas ever!_

_Love always, Shuichi._

Yuki knew that the contents of the box were only going to make things _worse._

After another moment of silence, the novelist gave a sarcastic smile to his companion.

"Well, here goes nothing."

A huge lump developed in both of their throats, and within their chests. The wind continued to drum away at the windows...as Yuki removed the lid from the box.

His predication was right-on target.

_**It was a brand-new laptop. Top-of-the-line quality.**_

He spoke after another eternity of silence.

His voice had its usual qualities; it was the voice of a nonchalant, sarcastic, busy author...

...but his body was trembling with tears. **_He was no different from a kitten._**

"You know...this year...was supposed to be different. This was supposed to be my first _real _Christmas. Everything was perfect...absolutely perfect...until I went it and screwed things up. Hiro had every right to do what he did."

Tears tore themselves out of Tohma's eyes, and sadness choked him.

Yuki's next words broke _his _back.

"Things are quiet now. **_Too _**quiet."

The thunder refused to stop.

_**He wanted to turn in. He wanted to be alone.**_

Speaking was excruciatingly difficult.

"Should...should I stay with you?"

"**_No. _**Leave me alone for now. I don't need anyone's company at the moment."

Tohma Seguchi silently left the room, his eyes radiant with raindrops.

Eiri Yuki slowly climbed into his bed...and...

...sadly embraced his first night...

...**_alone._**

There weren't any smiles, any hugs...

There were no passionate kisses on the cheek, no whispers of 'I love you'...

_There wasn't anything but the storm._

_The cold, endless storm.

* * *

_

_If I could turn back time...I'd take back everything that had happened._

_I would undo everything you saw...I would take away everything I **said.**_

_Wherever you are, please come back..._

_So I can tell you...what I've always wanted to tell you..._

"Shuichi..."

* * *

Tohma Seguchi may be a little OOC, but I'll explain him further into the story. Thank you for enjoying, and please take care! Thank you! 


	4. Darkness

Welcome to the chapter known as 'Darkness'!

Before I begin, I would like to give someone a very warm 'thank you'. She's one of this site's newest members, and my newest source of inspiration! She's a cool cat that goes by the name of 'Dejichan', and she came to me in my time of need. I was **_really_** worried about this story yesterday, but she restored my confidence. I've brought tears to someone's eyes; making someone happy is all I want to do. When she reviewed, I was so happy that I broke out into song!

I'm still going up against the big dogs here, but things have turned exciting! I'm going to put my heart and soul in this, you can count on it! Here we go!

Oh, and before I pull apart the curtain, let me say that I know I'm hinting towards a Hiro/Shuichi pairing...but just wait and see Eiri's side to all of this! The finale is going to rock your world! Enjoy!

By the way, I'm still not accepting flames. I never will.

* * *

'_Lost Novelist', 'Like We Never Loved At All' and 'A New Member of the Household' are hot Gravitation fics. Read them and other Gravi works! Read them all and have a ball! _I told you all I'm excited...hee hee...

* * *

_Themes of 'Darkness': 'I Need Some Sleep' by Eels (Shrek2 OST), 'About Her' from Kill Bill 2, 'Mystical Princess' by Masashi Hamauzu (Musashiden 2 Blademaster OST), 'Winterlight' by Tim Finn and 'Where' by Lisbeth Scott (Chronicles of Narnia OST)_

'_The course of true love never did run smooth'-Shakespeare

* * *

_

It was cold. **_Too _**cold.

The concept of sleep was a distant, foreign concept; a concept he had been familiar with for the longest time. The thick, frosty air refused to permit peaceful slumber, and his heart refused to stop pounding against its darkened prison. Relentless winds soared throughout the never-ending night; their power grew and grew with each passing minute, and minutes were no different from years. He could hear the winds laughing at him, and he knew the darkness was mocking him. It had come back to haunt him, to tear away the one world he had fallen into.

His bed, which had once been warm with the energy of a certain star, was now a bed of the blackest ice. His blankets provided no warmth; it was as if the entire world was laughing at him. Everything was cold...too cold for human contact. Silence was also abundant, and it was tearing his fragile heart apart. Darkness, silence and ice were tearing him to shreds, each of them bearing their own maniacal laughter...each of them bearing their own triumph, their own sadistic knowledge.

Midnight came in a flash, even though time had come to a complete stop. His eyes were still open, and he felt as if he had just entered his bed mere moments ago. The one that was usually near him was no longer on the face of the planet; that fact battered him every second of his life. His heart wouldn't stop its screaming...the laptop was on his desk...the blankets were as cold as ice...

_**Every minute felt like a YEAR.**_

Just a few moments ago, his life had been a party filled with vibrant smiles, innocent embraces and passionate kisses. Sure, it was a chaotic life, but it was a life that offered immeasurable bliss. Shuichi had cared for him, loved him...the young one had given him pure, unconditional love. Some saw the vocalist's devotion as 'infatuation', but the young one knew he cared for the novelist deeply...and wanted to spend the rest of his life caring for him. He had done so much for Yuki: he never failed to give Yuki good morning hugs, always made breakfast (even though he knew he was nowhere near being a gourmet chef), and wished him the best of luck on his novels. The young one's smiles were warmer than the brightest of sunrises, and he never failed to give the novelist any.

Hiro's words were true. Shuichi had given Yuki everything he could have wanted...and now...

..._Shuichi was gone._

Fifteen minutes elapsed...and not a _single_ minute brought any relief. The world became colder as time passed, and not a shred of hope could be seen in the midst of the darkness. Everything was in the embrace of icy sorrow...and there seemed to be no end to the pain in sight. Tears tore themselves out of his eyes as he desperately tried to rest, but the embrace of sleep was nowhere near him; even the concept of sleep was laughing at him. He had given up the most priceless treasure, and **_the entire world knew it._**

Two minutes.

It was now seventeen minutes past midnight. Sleep was not going to fall upon him; that was now written in stone. He was restless, far too uncomfortable for peace...and his heart wouldn't stop screaming. Everything was just...too cold.

He removed his cell phone from his pocket, opened it and looked upon its small monitor. The message he wanted to see didn't make itself known; instead, the usual messages were on his monitor, and they instilled even more pain into him. He didn't have any missed calls; not a single soul had called him during the last couple of hours...

After another eternity of silence, he pressed the number '3'...and **_waited._**

_**He received an answer...but it was not the answer he wanted to hear.**_

"We're sorry, but the user you are trying to reach is no longer available. We apologize for the inconvenience."

He became excruciatingly lightheaded, and his entire body lost all of its moisture. Sadness struck him in the form of a thunderbolt and caused him to become viciously dizzy, even though he was under the covers of his bed.

_**He would have preferred hearing Shuichi's voicemail message.**_

The young star's cell phone was off.

That fact struck him instantly, and it bore the ferocity of a million blades. The world around him became even colder as he thought of something; Shuichi **_never _**turned his cell phone off. If he wanted his phone to be silent, he placed it on 'vibration' mode...but he **_never _**turned it completely off.

Lightning threw itself against his house as he closed his cell phone...and buried himself beneath his blankets. His world had turned itself inside out in one swoop, and he was unable to adjust to the horrific changes that had been made. He was unable to do so because he **_refused _**to do so; he wanted to see Shuichi's smile. He didn't want to think of the young vocalist in the middle of the horrendous storm; he wanted him to be safe, warm and happy.

_**He wanted Shuichi to know the truth.**_

Time continued to attack him, and failed to bring any relief. Every passing second gave birth to venomous pain...and the slow passage of time caused everything to become colder. The silent novelist wandered through a dark tunnel of pain for what felt like an eternity, then he rose from his place. His body became intolerably heavy as soon as he rose to his feet; every piece of his body became a brick of steel. Silence continued to torment him as he scanned his room, feeling as if he had been placed in a new, inhospitable world. Everything, with the exception of the new laptop, was strange to him; the world he had locked himself in was no longer _his _world. The pictures on the walls, the papers, the files, the bottles of beer..._none _of it belonged to him. The change in his life had thrown him into a foreign world, a world he no longer wanted to be a part of.

The name of his star left his lips in a painful, mournful whisper...but he received no answer. The entire world was lost in silence; it was as if he had spent the previous months of his life in a jubilant dream. He was now in the middle of an unbreakable nightmare, and nothing seemed real. Even the ground beneath his feet was inhospitable; everything about him was no longer suitable for human contact. It was all so cold...so very cold...

Hours passed with the potency of years, and a new day broke out over his home. However, the darkness refused to leave; the sun was completely blocked from its normal shift. The skies were still black with rain, and the storm was still raging on. There seemed to be no end to the storm in sight, for its power was wild and uncontrollable. It was as if the night had never ended.

He had never been in the midst of an endless night before, and he had no desire to embrace his first one. Disgust and hatred struck his heart as he decided to withdraw from his foreign chambers. He no longer had the desire to rest; he was beyond restless, and he no longer wanted to be in the midst of strange objects. He took one last look at the horrendous objects...then took one last look at the laptop, which he had placed on the table. It was certainly a top-of-the-line laptop; it must have cost a fortune. It was the best of the best, the cream of the crop...and his Shuichi had purchased it for him.

Tears dashed into his eyes, but they were immediately wiped away. He knew he couldn't succumb to his emotions; doing so would render him immobile. Now was not the time to sink into sorrow...even though he desperately wanted to.

He closed the door of his bedroom and made his way down the stairs, trying to ignore the cheerful displays of Christmas bliss. There were strings of lights on the stairs, and they tried their best to make him smile...but their attempts crumbled miserably, for he truly had no desire to sink into pain. The very thought of Christmas stirred up Shuichi's name; the young star was the essence of Christmas.

Voices entered his ears. They belonged to K, Ark, Reiji and Tohma. Yuuji, Hiro and Suguru were nowhere in sight; Yuuji and Suguru were trying their hardest to calm the worried Hiro, who had failed to get even a second of sleep. Shuichi's dearest friend was trapped in the middle of immeasurable anger and sorrow; rivers were causing his body to tremble, but his eyes were bright with frustration. Yuki painfully remember the blow Hiroshi had delivered to him, and knew that Shuichi's friend had no desire to even **_think _**about him.

Tohma Seguchi was the first one to spot the silent novelist. The softhearted member of Nittle Grasper gasped, and his gentle eyes widened in sorrow. The others ceased their conversation and followed his gaze. Silence returned to the living room for a moment as Yuki gazed into the faces of his guests. Each of them bore their own set of emotions; Tohma's, of course, was a painting of sadness, Reiji had the look of a fretful mother about her, Ark looked as if he had lost his puppy in the middle of the night, and K carried the anger of a disgusted father. Silence tormented them for another eternity, then Tohma gently broke the silence.

"It's nice to see that you have awakened. How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been dragged through Hell." was the bitter, sorrowful answer. A frown broke out on Tohma's face, and his gentle heart plummeted into a dark pit of pain. Yuki continued after a moment of silence, even though the concept of speech was as foreign as sleep had been.

"I see we're all in the same boat."

K nodded and folded his arms. "I couldn't have said that better myself, Prince Charming."

The tone of Shuichi's manager caused the taste of poisonous guilt to enter Yuki's mouth.

"I tried to come into contact with Shindou at eleven o'clock last night, but here's the thing. His cell phone's been deactivated. I came to two possibilities. He's either **_really _**pissed off at you, or something big has gone down. I'm edging towards thesecond possibility, since I know Shindou well. He probably wants you rubbed off the face of the earth, but he wouldn't keep us in the dark."

K was not in the best of moods; that was evident. Several hours ago he had been in the shoes of a valiant, benevolent chieftain; now he was in the role of an angered father. He was still a vigilant beacon of guidance; he had just unwittingly thrown himself in Hiro's parade of hatred. An entire night of suffering didn't exactly bring the brightest of smiles, and anger had the power to tear anyone apart.

"We all called around. Tohma came into contact with your sister. Fujisaki and Ark contacted members of the other bands. Reiji contacted all medical institutions, and I even called _my family. **None **_of them picked up anything up from Shindou."

_**None of them.**_

The Shindou had fallen off the face of the planet.

"All of them, with the exception of Mika of course, are going to meet us here in a few hours. They've decided to help us in our quest for the missing vocalist."

A smile fell onto K's face, but it wasn't a pleasant one. It wasn't the smile one had at a tea party; it was the smile of a deceitful, merciless lion.

"Do you know what time it is?"

Tohma's heart fell further into sadness, and it carried Reiji's heart with it. The air became immoderately heavy with sorrow...it was almost impossible to breathe...

Yuki took one look at his watch.

_It was twelve in the afternoon._

The novelist's knees became dangerously weak, and his chest became tight. The air became thicker as he struggled for the power to breathe, but he no longer had the strength to comprehend the boundaries of reality...for he was lost in the most horrific nightmare. Tears dashed into his eyes once again, and he allowed them to strike the floor as his heart resumed its crying.

_There had to be another option. There had to be someone else they could contact._

Ten seconds passed in the form of ten years, then Yuki's heart leapt with urgent desperation. His eyes became wide pictures of desperate hope, and his heart began to pound against his chest heavily...

"_Wait! Hold on a minute!"_

Tohma's gentle eyes fell into his, filled with profound winds of sadness. "What is it, Yuki-sama?" he asked his dearest companion, noting the look of urgency on the novelist's face. Yuki had apparently uncovered one last lifeline, and he was determined to use it. He swept the hearts of the others into fragile hope with his newborn discovery.

"We've got one chance left. Just hold on a minute, all right?"

"What in the hell are you doing?" K asked him sternly, but his tone didn't emit impatience; it emitted a stream of curiosity. Yuki didn't answer him in words; his movements gave him the answer he needed. All eyes kept themselves glued to the novelist as he hurriedly whipped out his cell phone and pressed a number...

"Don't tell me you're trying to reach Shuichi again, Yuki." Ark said in frustration, his eyes filled with sorrow and helplessness. To him, Yuki was a desperate magician that wanted to use the same magic trick to save his show, but the novelist's intentions weren't clear to him at all. Tohma placed a gentle hand on Ark's shoulder, silently asking him to be patient with his soft eyes.

Silence tormented all of them for thirty seconds, then-

"Tatsuha!"

Tohma's eyes widened and a hopeful gasp tore itself from his heart. He exchanged glances with Reiji, who bore a facial expression that was similar to his. K and Ark exchanged vigilant glances with each other. All of them waited and listened...all of them hoped for _some _sign of relief...

"Yes, it's _me, _damn it. Listen. I want to know if you heard anything from Shuichi last night."

The answer was an answer of soft frustration and shock.

"I haven't heard from him in three days, bro. Please don't tell me you two had an argument!"

Yuki's heart fell; his plunge into sorrow made itself known on his face. Sorrow darted back into his eyes and tried to etch itself into his voice, but he refused to let his voice break. His heart dragged the hearts of the others with it; the last chance for relief fell apart miserably. His lifeline had failed.

"Sheesh! He gave you the world and _you scared him off. _Way t' go, Eiri."

Yuki's voice became a deadly, venomous blade of crimson red fire. He was on the verge of tears; his chest wanted to explode, and his eyes were burning...but he decided to release his sorrow in the form of frustration. **_"Look." _**he snapped. His voice would have brought a cobra to tears.

"_**I'm in no mood for your bullshit, Tatsuha. I've got enough grief on my hands, so don't toy with me."**_

The tone of Yuki's voice would have damaged a child _for life. _It shocked Tatsuha immensely; he had never heard his brother's voice take on such a fatal tone before. Something had torn Shuichi away from his brother, and now Eiri's world had taken on a whole new color; all of that was perfectly clear. A moment of silence passed between them before he regained enough strength to speak, then he took on the tone of a true, concerned brother.

"When did Shuichi disappear, Eiri?"

_A huge lump developed in Yuki's chest. _

His voice became soft and shaky. It frightened Tatsuha, for he didn't believe that Yuki had the ability to speak at a soft, fragile level. It was as if his brother had transformed into another person...a person that was sad enough to break his heart. The words Tatsuha received from him sent an arrow through his heart, and caused his eyes to widen in fear.

"I don't know."

Even though Tatsuha was miles away, he fell into their newborn world of rain. Sorrow pierced his peaceful day and shattered the boundaries of his routines...filling him with inexplicable dread. His brother was _beyond _worried, Shuichi was apparently nowhere around...something big had happened last night, and that 'something' had torn his brother's world apart.

Tatsuha was normally a cheerful, talkative individual...but now he was at a complete loss for words. He wanted to offer some kind of comfort, but not a single bit could be found...for the explosion of sorrow was just too great to overcome. An eternity passed between the two brothers, then Yuki spoke, increasing the newborn pain of Tatsuha's heart.

"Look. I don't know when he fell into oblivion. I don't know where he went, I don't know where he could have gone...I don't know **_anything. _**All I know is...I want him back. I..."

The lump became bigger, and tears tumbled out of his eyes. His voice became hoarse.

"...I want him to come back. I don't know where he is."

**_The dam was no longer strong enough to hold anything back._**

Yuki fell to his knees and buried his face in his hands. Pain exploded in his chest, rivers tore themselves from his eyes, and his body became insufferably heavy. He no longer had enough strength to hold anything back, and so he decided to allow everything free passage. His body released enough tears to drown him, every part of him burned and burned...

_No one of them were able to acknowledge this, but the outbreak of sadness brought all of them closer to each other. _They were going to become even _closer..._but none of them knew that yet...

Yuki's newborn sorrow brought Reiji to tears. She had never seen the novelist on his knees, and thought he was perfectly incapable of showing any sign of emotion. To her, listening to him cry was no different from watching a dying puppy whimper.

Ark and K felt their hearts fall into disbelief, for they too had believed Yuki to be incapable of displaying emotions. The beliefs of the past caused them to feel ashamed of themselves; both of them knew how deadly assumptions were, and yet they had made the novelist out to be a stone-hearted monster. Both of them exchanged glances with other as their bodies became heavy from exhaustion and sadness. K's eyes became the soft, sorrowful eyes of a gentle father; his best friend took on the look of a mournful child. Tohma joined all of them in their sorrow, but he had made no assumptions about Yuki; he knew the novelist was a fragile as a newborn sheep. The gentle hearted Seguchi made his way to the stairs and placed his arms about his brokenhearted companion, feeling rivers wrench themselves out of his own eyes.

Silence tortured all of them for another eternity, then Tatsuha spoke. His voice was very gentle; it was the voice of a comforting mother.

"Listen to me. I'll help you find Shuichi. Everything's gonna be okay, so stop your crying; it's scaring me. Trust me, okay?"

Silence.

"I'll be there soon. Everything's gonna be fine, bro. Don't worry."

The call came to an end.

Tohma tightened his embrace on Yuki, and Yuki placed his arms around _him_. The novelist had failed to find any relief, and was hungry for comfort. Their tears tied them together in a bond that would never be broken...and held them in an endless world of night. Time slowly drew itself by them...as all of them became closer in the midst of pain...

"I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry, Shuichi..."

"Sssshh. Everything's going to be all right. Sssshhh."

Their world became an abyss of dark sorrow...as tears tore themselves from their eyes. Reiji broke into soft sobs as she listened to Tohma comforting whispers...Hiroshi Nakano entered the room and felt his heart shatter...and Yuuji lowered his head, his own eyes filled with tears. Silence tormented all of them for another long eternity...then Claude K.Winchester, who was known as 'K', dialed a number that brought even more tears to everyone's eyes.

"Hey there. It's me, K. Yeah, I'd like to file a missing person's report on someone. Goes by the name of Shuichi Shindou."

* * *

-I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my newest pal, Dejichan. Thank you, once again, for restoring my hope in this.

Tohma's support is going to be explained soon, so no worries! I hope all of you enjoyed this, and thanks to **_everyone!_**


	5. Battlefield

Hello, and welcome to 'Battlefield'! I've spent the last couple of days eating up more inspiration, and I'm more revved up than ever about my work of love! I'd like to thank all of you for reading my little masterpiece! Thank you all very much!

I just received my new batch of inspiration from the 'Chobits' manga. The 'Mermaid Princess' song instilled a lot of encouragement! It's a really beautiful song; it's still stuck in my head, actually. It's become another theme song in addition to Imogen Heap's song. I created another Gravitation fic thanks to that song; it takes place during February, which is the most romantic month of the year!

Before I continue, I would like to say that I failed to a few important points. I stated that everyone used all available lifelines, but I failed to mention that K contacted Ayaka, Reiji contacted the medical institutions, and Suguru phoned the hotels. Tokyo airports were locked by Ark before the afternoon deadline. I'm sorry for missing such important points!

Please enjoy my work! Thank you, all of you! I would like to give anything huge 'thank you' to the one that inspired me. I can't tell her how much her inspiration means, because words can do justice to my happiness. Let's get into the new chapter!

* * *

_Theme of 'Battlefield': 'Mermaid Princess' from Chobits, 'Hung Up' from Madonna's 'Confessions on a Dance Floor'

* * *

_

A game plan was about to be set in motion.

The skies were still black, the air was still unbearably heavy, and time seemed to have come to a stop. The limits of reality were no longer in motion, for chaos had taken its place in the realm of veracity. The individuals inside of Eiri Yuki's house felt as if they had been transported to another planet; they were no longer in their warm, familiar world. They were in a world they no longer recognized, a place that wanted to escape from. None of them were comfortable with the heavy sorrow flowing through the air; a mere minute of silence drove all of them crazy, and it was incredibly hard to breathe.

It was a new day, but not a shred of relief came through for any of them. All of them were currently drenched in silence; K had brought his call with the police to a close two hours ago, and his battle plan was about to be turned on. He was a revered, renowned officer in both Japan and America; even though he was a resident of Los Angeles, Japan's police department looked up to him as if he were a brother to them. His vigilance, valiance, passion and endurance made him the perfect police officer; he was a strong warrior and a priceless friend.

It was two o'clock in the afternoon. Reinforcements were summoned by K as soon as he ended his call, and they were all gathered in the beautiful home of Eiri Yuki. To all of them, seconds were no different from years. Every individual was in the living room, filled with the storm of excruciating tension. Mouths were dry, hearts were pounding at the speed of light; they felt as if they had all been struck with the same illness. Tatsuha and Tohma were at Eiri's side, both of their faces radiating concern; Eiri's heart was drenched in silence, and he bore no desire to even walk upon the earth. He was like an animal that had been torn from his soulmate, for he no longer carried the strength to even breathe.

Ryuichi Sakuma's eyes were paintings of sadness. He was a close friend of Shuichi's, and so he wasted no time in rushing to Yuki's house. He brought his tour preparations to a close and made his way over to the establishment, his voice radiant with immaculate worry. Shuichi was a very dear fan of his, and he had no desire to sit on the sidelines during the battle. Ayaka Usami had been summoned as well, and she too was ready to participate in the search. Their concern for the situation made the air even heavier...and all of them knew they were about to begin one of the biggest battles of their lives.

K, of course, was at the head of the group. He stood as the fearless chieftain, ready and willing to take on all challenges. Like the others, he was definitely worried about the missing vocalist, he was thinking of the Shindou as his little brother, instead of just his most precious asset. He was also worried about Shuichi's prince, who had fallen into a zombie-like realm...and was unwilling to leave that realm.

He would have made the perfect drill sergeant, for his leadership skills were flawless. All eyes were on him, focused and filled with the deepest urgency. He was in the middle of a rapid, chaotic conversation, but he was able to stand his ground. Tatsuha was on one end of the conversation; he had just entered his brother's home several moments ago, and seemed to be on fire with concern. His brother was deeply troubled by Shuichi's disappearance, and he had **never **seen Yuki in such a horrible state before.

"Were all of the hotels checked out?"

"Yes, I'm afraid they were." K explained calmly, rubbing at his chin. His eyes were dark with serenity. "Reiji took care of the hotels herself. None of them gave her any information on Shindou. You'd think that he'd check into a hotel after an argument with Prince Charming, but none of them had anything. Ark snuffed out the airports; all of them were asked to prevent Shindou from catching a flight."

"What about the parks?" Tatsuha asked hurriedly, sounding like a father that was searching for his missing child. His heart was focused on his silent brother, whose face was an unreadable mask. "We've got to cover all grounds here."

K remained calm in the face of chaos. He was an enigmatic, bewitching entity, a soul that could easily charm his way into the hearts of others. At the same time, he was a reckless, relentless cheetah that could snuff out any obstacle. "We've gone through that territory too." he explained as Tatsuha took Eiri by the arm. "Reiji checked in with every available hospital, and found nothing. It's easy to assume that Shuichi could have been discovered sleeping under some tree somewhere, and due to the courtesy of the common man, he wound up in a comfy hospitable bed. We're going to run a thorough check on the parks, but as of right now, the possibility of finding him in a park is low. Besides, if he was sitting in some park, wouldn't he had notified us by now? Wouldn't he have returned to headquarters?"

Ark, K's dearest companion, took up the baton from his partner. "Don't forget about the connection to Shuichi's phone. It's been terminated." he said gravely, his eyes meeting the vigilant eyes of K. "There's no way he could've have destroyed it himself."

"What about your pals at the police department?" Tatsuha asked K, his voice flowing like an agile river. "What's their game plan?"

"They're going to keep an eye on things. A few units are going to assist us in our search, others are simply going to lay in headquarters. We're going to carry out _own _game plans, and so all of our ends are going to meet. Pretty simple stuff."

The gentle eyes of Ayaka fell into the outside world, which was still lost in a black ocean of rain. Her voice was as soft as a summer breeze, filled with the warmth of a mother's affection. The mournful essence of the rain made its way into her heart, and into her eyes. "Poor Shuichi." she said softly, gazing out of a window. "I hope he's all right."

Her words caused the tension to rise even higher. The air became even heavier; it would have suffocated a complete stranger. It was as if her words transported all of them to another planet, one without the proper resources of life. K's eyes took on a perilous look, and his voice took on a similar tone.

"Well, considering the potency of the storm, I highly doubt that our Shindou's in the greatest of spirits. I'm pretty sure that the encounter with Eiri Yuki is really sinking right about now too."

Ayaka and Hiroshi immediately placed their eyes on the silent novelist, who looked as if his heart was about to _crack. _Both pairs of eyes were filled with floods of concern, sorrow and confusion; neither of them knew the depth of Yuki's affection, and so both were completely surprised by his pain. Yuki knew he had committed the worst crime imaginable, and felt he deserved the highest punishment available. Ayaka's heart soared out to the novelist, and starlit sorrow fell into her eyes.

_He looks so sad...I've never seen him this way before. He's hurting...so much._

Ark rose to the podium after a moment of painful silence. Every one of his words brought on more tension.

"Hiroshi, I have something to ask you. Did Shindou _ever _tell you anything _bad _about Eiri Yuki?"

A lightning bolt struck Hiro's heart and caused him to gasp. At the very same time, Yuki's heart jolted, and guilt filled his saddened eyes.

"_What?"_

Ark's tone remained calm. "I asked you if Shindou ever said anything _against _Mr. Yuki. Did he ever share his thoughts on being mistreated? Was he ever despondent or lonely around you?"

The atmosphere became the atmosphere of a courtroom in mere seconds. Ark was a lawyer, Hiroshi was the witness...and Yuki was the criminal. The others were members of an audience, and all of them were being suffocated by the hands of fear.

Hiroshi took a few moments to think, then he shook his head fervently. His voice was soft, fragile and almost hoarse. He seemed to be on the same trail as Ark, but was unable to pick up Ark's scent. He was unable to do so because he was _afraid _to do so. "No...no...he didn't." he said softly, actually speaking to himself rather than Ark. "He...he never told me anything. My Shu was always so..."

Sorrow pierced his heart and tore it apart viciously.

"...happy."

They really were in the middle of a courtroom. They had the entire package; the heartbroken criminal, the determined lawyer, the sorrowful witness and the audience. K had his eyes glued on the lawyer, his own eyes filled with the scent of discovery. His partner was onto something, and it was making Yuki's condition fall further into misery. Tohma kept a tight grip on Yuki's hand, wanting to end the pain his companion was wandering in, but his attempts to comfort him went by unnoticed. Yuki was too far out in the ocean. The novelist couldn't take his mind off of Hiro's words...or Hiro's facial expression.

_My Shu was always so...happy._

"Why..." he whispered, his voice drifting into obscurity. He felt as if he were speaking to a dream, a being that had never truly existed.

"Why...why didn't you choose him? Why did it have to be _me?"_

Ark's eyes gleamed in the midst of the storm. He kept his own eyes glued to the fearful Hiroshi, who was standing on the side of his younger brother. "Was Shindou _really _happy?" he asked the guitarist, increasing his fear. "Or was he simply hiding behind a mask?"

"What are you getting at?" Ryuichi asked him, his eyes gleaming with anger. He knew where K's partner was going, and didn't like his choice of direction. However, Ark kept his calm in the face of tidal waves. "How could someone _possibly _be so happy all of the time?" he asked, directing the question to everyone in the room. "We all know Shuichi. He could never stop bouncing off the walls, and always had a smile to offer. His relationship with Yuki was in a sorry state, but he kept his mouth shut. He never removed that smile of his, not even for a second."

Hiro's eyes widened in deep fear, and sadness struck his heart like a lion claw.

Tohma had a solid brick of ice under his left arm. In other words, Yuki was completely frozen.

"Riddle me this, riddle me that. How couldsomeone take so much abuse and keep a smile on his face? What kind of _idiot _would accept bad treatment with a smile?"

Ryuichi folded his arms angrily. His claws were now out in the open; his voice made that flawlessly clear. "Shuichi's the kind of guy that expects the best out of _every one." _he said firmly, speaking as if Ark had offended _him. _"He _sees _the best qualities in everyone he meets. That's just how he is. I know this is off the subject, but I wish there were more people like him. This world wouldn't be in such a shitty state."

"You've got that right." Suguru put in, placing a hand on Ryuichi's shoulder. "Our Shuichi's pretty innocent."

"Which is _exactly _why you're going in the wrong direction, Ark." K added bravely, meeting the fire of his friend's eyes. "I understand your thoughts on this. You believe Shuichi ran off and committed _suicide, _don't you?"

_**Suicide.**_

That one lonely word knocked the wind out of _all of them._

_**Suicide.**_

Reiji clasped a hand to her mouth, feeling her heart pound against her chest in a wild frenzy. The faces of Suguru and Yuuji fell to the floor, radiant with disbelief. Hiro fell to his knees, feeling as if a rope had just been tied around his neck. Tohma's heart jolted as Yuki became colder under his grasp.

_**Suicide.**_

"It's a possibility." Ark said after an eternity of silence, noticing the broken hearts within the room. "I mean, think about it. How could someone possibly be so _happy _all of the time? K, don't tell that you don't know how these things are. Most of the time, the hyped up, happy-pappy ones are the ones with deep emotional problems. Hiro, did Shuichi say anything before he darted out of the door?"

Hiro, who no longer had the strength to be on the witness's stand, mustered up the remnants of his strength. Every piece of his body was ready to fall off; all of them had created minds of their own, and none of them wanted to be a part of him anymore. The stress of the situation was just too much for his body to handle, and he had failed to get a good night's sleep. "Yeah." he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "He...he took one last look at Yuki...and said...'I'm sorry'. That was all."

All eyes fell on Yuki, who wanted to tear every single one of his limbs off. He was a stain upon the realm of humanity, and had no right to even look upon humanity's greatest treasure ever again. His emotions were still cryptic to the others, but Tohma could read them perfectly, and they were breaking his heart. The novelist was ready to crack...literally. His eyes, which were still dark pools of blackness, were filled with luminous tears of endless sorrow. The pain of his heart was making itself known in his eyes, for his eyes were fragile shards of despondency.

Ryuichi took a look at Yuki, and then shook his head. "I'm sorry, pal." he said sternly. "I'm not with you on this. There's no way Shuichi could have done himself in."

"I'm with _you." _K said resolutely, folding his own arms. He turned his attention to his partner, his eyes fearless and bold. "I understand what you're trying to say, but your conclusion isn't valid. Yes, Shuichi's a ball of energy; there was very little we could do to hold him down. But his innocence is far too great for selfishness. His enthusiasm for life was vibrant, and he looked upon all of us as _family. _He may not want to come into contact with Yuki, but we're still here, and I'm sure he hasn't forgotten us. And don't forget-Reiji contacted every available hospital. None of them picked Shindou off the street. Suicide isn't really in the picture. Nice try, bud, but pull another card."

"Nice work." Suguru said happily, wiping sweat from his forehead. In return, he received a wink from the vigilant officer.

"Thanks. Oh, and by the way, I contacted the media shortly after I awakened. I'm sure all of Japan knows of this situation by now."

Yuki's heart ceased its beating for a second, but that second was no different from a millennium. The novelist's fearful eyes fell onto the officer's face, filled with the shock of a torn animal. K nodded at him sadly, feeling as if he had just offended a very dear friend. "I'm sorry, Yuki, but it had to be done." he explained sadly. "We may not find Shindou. We have to take all possibilities into consideration."

Tohma tightened his grip.

"We're going to do a little research of our own. My friends in the service are going to do whatever they can to find Shindou, but in the meantime, it wouldn't hurt to carry out a few plans of our own. Now, we're going to hitch up in pairs and search the city. If none of us are able to find even a piece of pink fluff, each pair is going to embark on a grand tour of Japan. Each pair is going to carry out their search in separate areas. The police department is free to do as they please, but we're going to carry our search until New Year's Eve. If worse comes to worse, we'll meet back here...in grand Tokyo. Understood?"

Silence ensued. Heads lowered themselves, hearts shattered into a million pieces...and a lost soul fell deeper and deeper into pain. Turbulent winds filled their ears for several minutes, then Suguru gently broke the devastating silence.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this..."

"Neither can I." Ryuichi whispered in return, feeling as if he was meeting the Fujisaki for the very first time. He shook his head sadly, unable to believe that his entire vacation had been eliminated by a single phone call.

"I, of course, will take on Ark as my partner." K continued, bearing the voice of a football coach. "My faithful swordsman and I will journey through the luscious areas of Nagoya and Kyoto."

"I'll be in charge of Yuki-sama!" the gentle Seguchi put in bravely, bearing no desire to emit his pain. He knew he had the perfect chance to claim the one he loved, but Yuki's heart was lost in another dimension. Taking advantage of a brokenhearted soul wouldn't have been a very nice thing to do; it would have been horrifically immoral. He was a strong supporter of the novelist, and just wanted him to be happy. "We'll take on Kyushu and Nagasaki."

"Wise decision." K said happily, breathing a sigh of relief. "You handle him well. The two of you will do just fine."

"I'll be in charge of the one that keeps staring at me." Ryuichi added courageously, feeling the fearless gaze of Tatsuha burn into the back of his head. Yuki's playful sibling winked at him as soon as he turned around. "We'll take Yokohama and Shikoku!" Tatsuha said excitedly, ready to take on the newest challenge at hand. He gave a warm, encouraging smile to his brother.

"Don't you worry! We'll find him!"

"You know, for some reason...that just doesn't sound right. I wish everyone would stop saying that."

Hearing Yuki speak was like communicating with an alien from another planet. Tatsuha focused his eyes on him, filled with fervent apprehension.

"You want everyone to stop saying _what?"_

Yuki's tone of voice broke his heart.

"I wish everyone would stop telling me to keep it cool."

"Ayaka and I will be in charge of Hiroshima!" Reiji said bravely, trying to keep her eyes from Yuki's mournful facial expression. "We'll also take on Matsue!"

"Akita and Aomori are ours." Hiroshi put in valiantly, removing oceans from his eyes. His two companions, Yuuji and Suguru, stood at his side bravely. The two of them silently exchanged a pledge with each other; both of them vowed to look after Hiroshi with their lives.

A smile of ardent hope lit up K's eyes. He felt as if he had just created a fool-proof game plan with his star players, and he was ready to tackle the world. "Now remember-the extensions of your quest will only come into play if **_nothing _**can be found in Tokyo. Once all of you have done your part _here, _you are free to hitch a plane ride to your chosen areas. Before we leave, however, I have a question to ask our Prince Charming."

Once again, all eyes went straight to the novelist. Yuki never really enjoyed being the center of attention, but that was during book signings and tours. Now he was seriously against the idea of being placed under a hot spotlight; he knew he had done wrong, and couldn't endure anymore destructive attacks. However, K didn't have harmful intentions; he wanted to ask him a question, and it was a question that would forever change his life.

"Eiri Yuki, I want you to look me _straight _in the eyes. I don't know what happened up there, but I do know this. Shuichi Shindou loved you-he loved with you all of his heart and soul. I believe he **_still _**loves you. He's waiting for you somewhere, my friend...so answer this for me. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to find him? Are you willing to even place your life on the line if you have to?"

He received the answer he expected to receive.

"_**Yes! Yes, dammit! I'll slice off my own damned arms if I have to! I'll do whatever I have to do to bring him back! I love him and I'm ready to do ANYTHING to bring him back! I'll say this one last time; I love him and I'm sorry! So get off of my damn back already! I'm sorry!"**_

_I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..._

Tohma brought Yuki into another motherly embrace and comforted him with soft, gentle whispers. The novelist's sobs were the only things that could be heard for an eternity, with the exception of the wind...but then K's hopeful grin broke the silence.

"Yuki, that was **_exactly _**what I wanted to hear. Let's begin, shall we?"

* * *

"I've never been to New York before. I've heard it's a really cool place!"

"It is. You're going to love it there, dollface. You and I are going to have a **_blast."_**

"Are you _sure _my friends are all right with this? I mean...I know Yuki doesn't care about me...but are you _really _sure that the others are okay?"

"I'm one hundred percent sure, love. You gave me your best friend's number, remember? I gave him a call while you were asleep. I have to say that you're pretty damned cute when you're sleeping, Shuichi. You're even cuter than a puppy. I may have to adopt you."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'll be okay in a few days!"

"I know you'll be fine. I'm going to take really good care of you, sweet cheeks. I'll pamper you for a few days, then I'll let you go back to Tokyo...unless I decide to take you for myself."

Shuichi Shindou, the missing vocalist of Bad Luck, was on a flight to New York.

On his side was a young woman, one with lustrous blonde hair, sleek curves and bold brown eyes.

Ark had placed all airports on lock down at seven o'clock.

_**Shuichi's new 'friend' had decided to catch a ten o'clock flight during the previous night.**_

She couldn't take her eyes off of him. He was so sweet, so gentle...so weak and vulnerable. Beautiful in every way imaginable. He enjoyed even the smallest of things...and just wanted someone to love.

_Such a delicate, pure little thing. Broken by the cruel hand of fate. Such delicate, rich beauty._

_It'll be all mine soon. I'll claim him as my own. He won't be hitching a ride back to little ol' Tokyo._

She had rescued him from the storm. He was a serendipity; a pile of gold that had just fallen right out of the sky. She found him under a tree within a park, lost in unconsciousness. She cared for him within her hotel room...and took complete advantage of his vulnerability. The poor young puppy was heartbroken, cold and lonely...he looked as if he had just been thrown out by his dearest, most trusted master. She created a plan, and carried it out quick; she knew she had to claim this treasure for herself.

She had no desire to return Shuichi to his 'rightful owner'.

_It's all over, Eiri Uesugi. We've won. My brother and I have won the war. I've got your treasure box._

"Ms. Yoshiki?"

She smiled at him warmly, her ethereal features betraying her true heart.

"Just call me 'Yoshi', Shuichi. That would be fine. We don't have to stick to formalities."

* * *

Silence engulfed Eiri's heart.

He and his traveling partner were the last pair. The house was quiet...too quiet...

The Christmas tree was no longer up...the decorations had been removed...

_**There was nothing left...other than the tears of a broken heart.**_

He removed a jewelry box from his black coat pocket.

Shards of crystal fell upon it and bestowed a mournful, ethereal gleam to it.

Gentle words left his mouth in delicate whispers.

"When I see you again...I'll give this to you...and I'll explain everything. Then...I'll bring you home. So just wait for me, okay?"

_I'm sorry, Shuichi. I'm so sorry..._

"I love you, Shu-chan...and I wish you'd...come back to me..."

Tohma Seguchi placed both of their bags into Yuki's vehicle, then rushed back into the house, realizing that Yuki wasn't with him. The softhearted Seguchi found the novelist on his knees, lost in a world of tears...

...clutching a jewelry box to his shivering chest.

Rain poured from the skies...and from his heart.

"Shuichi...please wait for me...I'm sorry..."

* * *

_At night, the town is quiet like the bottom of the ocean_

_I continue down the road by myself_

_Guided by the distant voice_

_I keep searching for the soft blue light_

_Hey I discovered myself within_

_And my spirit calls out to me_

_No matter how far away I am, I can hear it_

_Hey I found you_

_And so, without leaving you again_

_No matter how much I hurt inside I'll always be near you_

_I'll never release_

_Your hand that I held._

-'Nigyo Hime: The Mermaid Princess' lyrics from 'Chobits'

* * *

I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter! I loved writing! I hope I can share the joy of creation with other writers out there! I've never felt such enthusiasm for another story before! I'm so happy! Please have fun with 'Kakumei'!

Can any of you guess who tricked Shuichi into hitching a flight to New York? Hmm...where will the story turn next? What will happen? Stay tuned for the next chapter, 'Departure'!


	6. Broken Songbird

Hey everyone. I apologize for not posting in a thousand years. A lot has happened since the last update, and I really didn't have any time to post. A lot of good things have happened, but a lot of bad has happened as well. Shortly after the previous update, I was assaulted by a massive wave of inspiration for another Gravitation fic. The inspiration came from two sources; Xenosaga 2 and The Fifth Element. It'll be another epic, a plot that blends qualities from both stories. If I decide to create it, it'll come after 'Kakumei', that's for sure.

I also started to create another fic, which centers on the events that have just changed my life. You see, one of my siblings finally found her wings and left the nest today. I really don't wanna launch into detail about today, but this Gravi fic centers on the ever flowing river of time. Lives change with every passing day, and people's hearts are thrown across different worlds. Is love really enough to hold everything down?

After the fluffy 'Ephemeral', writing Yuki/Shu _angst _is going to be a little weird, and I'm not really in the best of spirits, but I'll try my best. I know this bears a resemblance to 'Leaving Affections', but please remember that this story was planned in December of last year. I'm not copying anybody...and I love that story.

Sorry. I know I probably sound gloomy, because I feel **_awful._** Thank you for reading, though. I value all opinions; I just don't accept _flames._By the way, 'Garren' is a real salon in New York. It's not a figment of my imagination. Doing research for 'Kakumei' is fun.

* * *

_Theme of 'Broken Songbird': 'Lucy Meets Mr.Tumnus' from Chronicles of Narnia OST.

* * *

_

Yoshi's home was an elegant display of exuberant beauty, endless enthusiasm and thriving passion. The objects of her home each gave off their own message, and made it clear that their owner had a complex personality. Her home didn't exude a single theme; there was a wide variety of intricate, colorful objects. Each of them had a story to tell, but their stories were a little difficult to hear, for they were all being delivered at the same time. Their owner had a loud, unpredictable personality; all of her belongings proved that.

The winds of morning were soaring throughout her home. There wasn't a scrap of music in her home, and the high-definition television was as silent as a mouse. Beams of sunlight gave each of her belongings a jubilant smile-the sun seemed to have a smile about its heart. Birds were greeting the newborn day with open wings, but none of them were releasing any melodies; it was early for them, and so their voices were not up to par at the moment. The city of New York, of course, was wide awake; the city seemed to be suffering from an eternal case of insomnia, for it never closed its eyes.

The owner of the silent, elegant home was not walking throughout her dwelling; she was drenching herself in shower water. Her guest, a brokenhearted young bird, was in her guest room, lost in a dark whirlpool of thought. The beauty of the newborn day was completely lost on him, for his sorrowful thoughts didn't allow any room for happiness. All of his thoughts were consuming him, eating away at his heart and soul.

It was a new day. He was in a new world, a world he knew little of.

He was nowhere near the world he had come to know so well.

Oceans were in his eyes, and his eyes were on fire. His entire face was on fire; he felt as if poison was streaming through his bloodstream. His body, which felt intolerably heavy, was as cold as a glacier, even though it was under several blankets. Diamonds were falling from his eyes at an uncontrollable, excruciating rate, and his heart was throbbing against his chest. He had spent the last couple of months at Eiri Yuki's side...and now he was in on another planet. Yoshi had invited him to her world, she had offered to care for him...she gave him a chance to remove his burdens. At first her offer pleased him; he was actually a little excited about the new adventure. The arrival of the new day had caused the weak excitement to wear off, and reality hit him like a brick. He was alone; he had always been alone.

He had served his heart to Yuki on a silver platter. He had given the novelist not only his heart, but his soul as well. He loved him, loved him enough to die for him...but his dream prince was not interested in returning his affections. The brokenhearted bird believed in true, everlasting love...but his beliefs were shattered when his heart's star tore everything apart.

"Yuki..."

His hands strengthened their grip on the blankets. Oceans soared from his eyes, and each teardrop tormented him. Reality was horrible. He was alone, all alone in a new world...and his fairy tale had been a nightmare all along.

The passage of time tortured him mercilessly. Seconds were hours, minutes were days...everything was excruciatingly long and difficult, too difficult to handle...

"Ahh. Nothing like a warm shower to brighten up a new day!"

Shuichi Shindou's eyes removed themselves from the abyss of darkness, and fell onto the woman that had just emerged from her bathing quarters. The only garment she had on was her towel, but that didn't prevent her from exuding her 'magic'. She treasured her looks, and took every opportunity to show herself off. Even emerging from a shower was a memorable experience for her.

"Sorry if I took too long. I tend to get lost in there, sweet cakes. You know how it is. Nice, long showers draw me away from the world."

She began to remove the towel from her body, but stopped when she noticed the look on Shuichi's face. It was sad enough to break anyone's heart, for he looked as if the entire world had turned on him. He truly was a heartbroken bird, a radiant songbird that had his wings broken. His eyes were shimmering oceans, oceans filled with pain and anguish. They were deep, infinite portals to broken innocence...

...and they were about to be tainted by the songbird's captor.

She spoke to him after a moment of silence, speaking to him the way a girl would speak to an adorable puppy. "Why, what's wrong dollface?" she asked him, her eyes emitting deep concern. "What's the matter?"

Another moment of silence passed before he answered. His voice was small and fragile, the true voice of someone that had all of their dreams broken.

"Nothing. I'm okay."

Anger pierced Yoshi's eyes, but it pierced them in a warm, motherly way. It gave her eyes the deceptive magic she needed; it turned them into radiant, vibrant gemstones of fervent frustration. She grabbed her guest by the arm, failing to realize that her sudden movement caused her towel to fall right off.

"You can't sneak anything by me. I can detect a lie coming from miles away. You're **_not _**okay-you're still thinking of the _jerk _that broke your heart! Listen to me, baby-now's the time to spread your wings and _fly! _Turn on a new light!"

Shuichi's delicate voice became louder. The vocalist's voice was passionate; it emitted the true, immaculate depth of human emotions. Every time he spoke, pictures were painted in the minds of his audience. He was a jewel in Japan's music industry...but, at the moment, his singing voice was asleep...and it was going to be asleep for quite a while.

"_I can't! It's not that easy! I loved him! I really loved him!"_

His eyes overflowed with tears. The young vocalist broke into sobs, unable to remove his heart from his newborn sorrow. His eyes continued to burn, his body shivered and shivered..._the world was just too cold..._

After an eternity, he found the arms of his new friend around him. They were warm and comforting...soft and soothing...

...but her true intentions were completely hidden from view.

She spoke to him again, her voice firm and filled with the courage of a lioness. Her eyes were no different.

"Listen to me. I know break-ups are hard, but get this. You can't spend the rest of your life _wallowing _in pain; life's too precious for that! There's so much to see, so much to do...so you can't waste any more time _crying_ over your so-called prince! If anything, you should be laughing right now! He obviously didn't understand anything you had to offer! You're a gem, Shuichi, and you deserved to be _treated _like one!"

It took him a moment to digest her encouragement, but when the process was complete, he gave her a facial expression that _pleased _her.

_I've got him. I've got him right where I want him. All I have to do is reel in him, and he's **mine. **_

His eyes were paintings of fragile hope. They were the eyes of a frightened, betrayed child...a child that was afraid to renew his hope in true love. She placed a strong, enthusiastic smile on her face and pushed her hook in even further.

"I'll take care of you. I'll treat you like a king, dollface. I'll take you on a grand tour of my home, and give you a chance to forget the bastard that dumped you."

An idea struck her, and it caused her to snap her fingers. It was an idea that would weave well into her plans, an idea that would increase her chances of victory.

"Tell you what. You're going to check out my friends in Garren. You're going to get _a brand-new_ look; something that'll turn your world around! You'll love it there, I know you will. You've got to change your look if you want a new spin on things!"

The idea of a 'new look' gave birth to fear in Shuichi's eyes. The vocalist knew that getting a 'new spin on things' meant that he would have to shake off everything from the past...he would have to shake off his relationship with Eiri Yuki. Many people threw themselves into new appearances after bad break-ups...and he was about to become one of them. Yoshi saw the fear in his eyes and shook her head, still wearing the mask of deep, immaculate enthusiasm.

"Don't worry about a thing. I'd told you I'd take care of you, and that's exactly what I'm going to do! We'll find you the perfect hairstyle, and we've **_got _**to get rid of that pink_. I_ think it's adorable, but _pink _isn't really common in my neck of the woods."

_That _made his face fall even further.

"My...my _hair...?"_

"You're right on the money, sweet cheeks. You're going to get a _makeover. _Afterwards I'll lock you up in my closet and spend the rest of my life _pinching _your cute little body._"_

She laughed right here, acting as if she had made a joke.

"Just kidding, puppy. I crack myself up sometimes. But you _are _the cutest thing I've _ever _laid my eyes on. Seriously."

Her sexual advances flew right over the innocent bird's head. Her true intentions weren't visible to him at all. Ryuichi's words were true; Shuichi only saw the best in everyone he met. In his eyes, 'Yoshi' was an eccentric, seductive enchantress with a heart of gold.

_He was **nowhere near the truth.**_

To make things worse, he was vulnerable. He was still in shock, the poor thing. He was in such a delicate, weak state...

_He was the perfect prey for her._

"Yoshi?"

Her smile became sweeter, sweet enough to suffocate a knowledgeable heart. Her smile was so deceitful, so cruel...

"What's up, doll?"

He gave her a smile that broke all boundaries of description. It was smile crafted from the depths of reborn hope, a smile filled with the promise of a sunny melody...a smile that would have brought tears to another's eyes. His voice would have caused an old man to break into sobs.

"I hope I'm not causing too much trouble."

"Like _hell _you are! I love having you here! Listen, baby. I've got a loooong list of friends here, but as you can see, _none _of them live here with me. This place can get too quiet, you know?"

"Thank you...for having me. I really appreciate this. Thank you."

Her eyes widened with shock, and her heart jolted.

_Damn it all! He's too cute for words! There's no way I'm letting this one off the hook! I'm going to make sure Uesugi suffers for throwing such a prize away!_

"It's no problem! Leave it to me, dollface. You and I are going to have a ball!"

* * *

Tohma Seguchi was in charge of a delicate diamond.

The softhearted member of Nittle Grasper was trying his hardest to support his companion, but his companion was completely unpredictable. He was in an extremely fragile condition, and it frightened the Seguchi. The novelist was silent, and his emotions were deep...deep, complex and heart-rending. It was excruciatingly hard to even look at the author, but the Seguchi knew he had to hold up his beloved friend.

Neither one of them had found anything within the last couple of hours. They felt as if the one they were searching for...was no longer on their planet...

_You're so far away from me...and I miss you._

_I miss you...and I just want the two of us to go back home...

* * *

_

I'm going to dig deeper into Yoshi's intentions soon. Eiri's angst is also going to be explored. The journey has just started; where will things turn next? Stay tuned for the next exciting episode.

Thank you all for reading. Bye for now.


	7. Broken Hearts

Eternal Naoki here, back in full force! Well, not really, but I'm getting there. As you can see, I've changed my pen name again. I had to change it, because 'NaokiX' became really old last night. The winds of change are upon me, yes they are.

I spent most of the night in tears, but my spirits have lightened a little. Our gloomy weather isn't helping things, but several things have lightened my burdens. Another Gravi fic, 'Leaving Affections', has certainly given me a huge energy boost. I've mentioned it several times before, but now I'm going to mention it in a way I've never mentioned it before; IT RULES MY WORLD!

It is certainly THE BEST Gravi fic I've read so far. If I could throw a parade in its honor, I would most certainly do so. Angst, suspense, romance, tribulation; this fic has it all, and even more. It's a package fit for a king, queen and ten princes! Definitely Oscar material. The latest chapter still has me in tears.

The author of that fic may not know this, but LaDiDaanifan has certainly inspired me. I've developed a new appreciation for Hiro thanks to that story of unrequited love. So, to show my newborn appreciation, this first half of this entry is going to focus on Hiroshi Nakano's search. Please feel free to enjoy my masterpiece, and stay tuned for the action-packed finale!

_This entry is dedicated to 'Leaving Affections', LaDiDaanifan, Dejichan, Leeren and all other Gravi authors. The author would also like to dedicate this to her oldest sis, the one that found her wings two days ago._

I can't tell you all how many times I've read the Gravi manga! I WUVVY VOLUME 12! HEE HEE HEE...'Kakumei' is my own spin on the Gravitation finale...hee hee hee!

IF ONLY MISS MAKI COULD SEE US ALL! WUNDYFUL STORIES, YES?

Heh heh, sorry.

* * *

_It's always in the back of your mind_

_When everything is dark, still something shines..._

_-Tim Finn's 'Winter Light'

* * *

_

Three days passed since the beginning of the battle.

It was December 23. There were only two days before Christmas, the most beautiful day of the year. It was the day of eternal love, loyalty and bliss...a day that was meant to be shared between lovers, friends, and families. Unfortunately, the beauty of the holiday was going to soar right by several individuals, for they were all drowning under a tidal wave. The tidal wave was composed of impenetrable darkness, and the darkness increased with every passing hour; the passage of time offered no type of relief to any of them. They were on the hunt, searching for a star that had fallen from the skies...but none of them had been able to find anything. A few of them felt as if they were searching for a dream, a mirage that had never existed in the first place.

Three individuals were rooted on the Gochomebashi Bridge, trapped in whirlpools of intense emotions. The weather was pleasant; light, breezy and touched with the scent of rain. It was nothing like the merciless storm within Tokyo, but the weather was completely ignored by the trio. All of them were lost in deep silence, the kind of silence that removed a human from the boundaries of everyday reality.

All of them were lost in their own thoughts, but all of them were within the same boat. None of them had found anything on the missing vocalist, and they weren't too pleased with their empty search. Two of the individuals felt as if they were failing the third one, for they had made a vow to protect him...and yet they were unable to keep his tears from falling.

The world, which was vibrant and bright to everyone else, was cold and dark. All three of them felt as if they didn't even belong on the planet, for they were years away from the other human beings. They too were once a part of the joyous celebration known as life, but their joy had been swiped from under their noses...and now none of them were in the warmth they once knew.

Hiro was in between his two companions, Suguru and Yuuji. His mind was nowhere near them, for it was trapped in an ocean of thoughts...an ocean that was purely crafted from the beauty of a star's smile. The light breezes were pushing strands of his soft hair into the air, and each strand was a perfect accompaniment to his tears; he bore the appearance of a mourning maiden. His two friends wanted to comfort him, but their past attempts to do so failed miserably...and they could think of no more options. Suguru and Yuuji felt _awful_: they were unable to bring Hiro's heart back.

Thirty eternities elapsed between them, then Suguru spoke. His voice was soft and apprehensive...it was as if he was afraid of breaking Hiro with a loud volume.

"Well, I guess we'll check out the western area tomorrow. Maybe we'll find something. Or who knows? Maybe one of the other groups will find something."

Those words only made things worse. The look on Hiro's face almost brought Suguru to tears. He just looked so sad...

"I hope _something _comes up." Yuuji said softly, placing a hand on Hiro's shoulder. His voice was hoarse and fragile. "I feel as if we've gone over the entire planet. I never thought that searching for someone would be so hard. Whenever I even think of Shuichi, my heart twists inside of my chest. It's as if I know he's in danger somewhere...but I don't know where he is."

His eyes fell into Hiro's, which were intolerably hard to look into.

"I'm sorry, brother. I know how much Shuichi means to you. I hope we find something soon."

Hiro came back to reality, but his return wasn't complete. His eyes were the eyes of a brokenhearted wolf, a wolf that had spent his entire life searching for something precious. His eyes were red, and filled with the weariness of a broken heart. His voice was no different.

"You _don't _know how much he means to me. No one does."

"What?"

Suguru and Yuuji exchanged glances with each other, their faces radiant with shock. It was as if Hiro had declared war on an army of plastic soldiers.

"Nobody knows how much Shuichi means to me."

The mere sound of Hiro's voice brought Yuuji to tears. Hiro was normally cheerful, energetic and upbeat; now he was a soul without a heart, a torn body without the strength for life. The guitarist of Bad Luck was the epitome of sadness; his eyes made the fact evident. He was just so sad...so sad and lonely...

"What are you trying to say, Hiro?" Suguru asked him softly, still unwilling to raise his voice beyond a gentle breeze. Hiro's face fell even further.

"Nobody knows I love him. Well, I guess you guys do now...but no one else does."

His two companions exchanged worried glances with each other, then they placed their attention back on the guitarist, looking at him as if he were a time bomb. Hiroshi continued to speak after a moment of silence, his eyes gazing into the night. His voice was filled with vivid emotions; sorrow, anger, and confusion were powerful forces within his words.

"It's true. I love him. I've _always _loved him. It was hard...for me to watch him with Yuki. Sometimes I couldn't even look at him...for it would have been too hard for me to bear. Every time I saw him, I always wanted to reach out and hug him, you know. I wanted to protect him...wanted to make him laugh and _smile. _I wanted him to have my heart...and I wanted him to have _**mine.**"_

Suguru and Yuuji looked as if they had just received the most beautiful marriage proposals. They were shocked, happy and sorrowful at the same time...it was inexplicably difficult to place their reactions into words. After a moment of excruciating silence, Yuuji found the strength to speak.

"Hiro, did Shuichi know? I mean...did you ever tell him?"

Soft anger pierced the guitarist's face. "No. I couldn't. How could I? He was stuck on _Yuki. _I was nothing more than his _friend. _Just his friend."

Listening to Hiroshi was like listening to an endless death cry. The guitarist's emotions were deep, vibrant and heart-rending...they were too painful to absorb, too painful to even witness. He truly loved the missing vocalist; his love shimmered in every one of his words. Suguru's eyes overflowed with tears, and Yuuji felt his heart scream against his chest...**_looking _**at Hiro was just too hard.

"Hiro..." Suguru asked him after an eternity of silence, placing a hand on his other shoulder. The guitarist was shivering; he was dangerously on the verge of tears. "...you'll get the chance to tell him. You'll get the chance to tell him _everything. _I know you will."

"I don't know if I want to. I don't even know if I'll see him again...but if I do, I don't think I should tell him."

Suguru reeled away from him, horrified by his decision. "Why?" he asked, his eyes wide with shock. Hiro looked into his face, which made things even harder for the other band member of Bad Luck.

"I don't know what's going to happen. Don't forget about the way Yuki acted when this all started. He turned into a completely different person. It was as if someone pulled the curtains apart, and he took out his true colors."

Yuuji's eyes went to the saddened Suguru.

"Why do you think his reaction was so strong if he caused all of this?"

Suguru shrugged, realizing that the elements of the outside world were completely foreign to him. People were talking of the latest news, but his mind was nowhere near strangers. His attention was on Hiro; the firm tone of his voice made that perfectly clear. "I don't know." he said to Hiro's brother. "Maybe Hiro's right. Maybe Shuichi's disappearance brought him to the light. You know what they say. You never know what you have...until it's gone."

_**His last statement hit all of them like a ton of bricks.**_

A lump developed in Suguru's throat, and it caused his voice to become hoarse. "He's out there, somewhere." he said gently, squeezing Hiro's shoulder with the devotion of a determined brother. "We just have to find him. We're searching for a needle in the haystack, but we'll find our needle eventually. We just have to keep trying."

"You guys..."

"What is it, Hiro?" Yuuji asked gently, dangerously close to tears himself. Hiro looked like a dog that had just been abandoned by his most precious friend.

"What if we **_don't _**find him? What if we never see him again?"

The ability to produce speech was shattered.

All three of them fell into an embrace. They were unable to speak, but they communicated in a way they had never communicated in before. Their tears spoke clearly, and their soft sobs tied them all together...in a bond of brotherhood.

* * *

"Shuichi Shindou, the young vocalist of Bad Luck, has been missing for several days. Many seem to believe that he may have committed suicide, due to the abuse he endured under Eiri Yuki."

"Do you seriously think that he killed himself? It's just not possible!"

"Many believe that he was abducted by a pack of frenzied fans. Others say that he simply could have taken off into parts unknown. The reasons behind his abrupt disappearance are unclear, but the search is going on."

"He was always so cute...the poor thing...right before Christmas too..."

"Why in the hell was that Yuki guy so cruel to him? I mean, come on! Shindou never did anything wrong! Of course he was irritating at times, but that was the way he was! And he loved the guy **_to death! Sheesh! _**Some people just don't appreciate _anything!"_

Shuichi's disappearance was wreaking havoc in the hearts of his fans. The news of his disappearance was swiftly spreading throughout Japan like an epidemic, and it was producing a wide variety of side effects. Many were angry, others were confused...and others were even grief-stricken. His band had an enormous fan base; almost all of Japan was under Bad Luck's spell, and so the entire nation was drowning in a massive epidemic of emotions. One thing was for sure; all of them wanted to see the vocalist's smile again.

Unfortunately...**_he was nowhere near Japan.

* * *

_**

Hotel Sunroute Nagasaki was a haven for another broken heart.

Tohma Seguchi and Eiri Yuki were on the second floor, dwelling in a room that carried the necessities for relaxation. The room was soft, elegant and melodious, beautiful enough for an emperor to enjoy...but the beauty of the room was completely lost on both of them. At the moment, Eiri was the only one in the room; Tohma was on the search for a healthy meal. In times of despair, the Seguchi gave him the position of Eiri's caretaker. He had served as his caretaker several times in the past, but his services were being pushed against the ropes during the current round. He loved Eiri; loved him, cared for him, protected him...but looking after him now was no different from watching a silent, ravenous murderer. He was silent, and that silence made him unpredictable. Tohma treated him as if he were a time bomb, for he was completely quiet...and he was also heartbroken.

The novelist had altered his appearance. His usual glasses weren't present, his hair was a darker shade, and there was an elegant hat sitting on the top of his head. He had altered his appearance because he had no desire to be bothered by the public, let alone the media. He had received enough grief at the beginning of the battle, and he knew he had committed a horrendous crime. He didn't want anyone else to rub anything in his face.

Twenty minutes elapsed.

Tohma had successfully located healthy nourishment. Eiri had refused to eat anything ever since the beginning of their search, but the Seguchi was determined to get **_something _**down his throat. The novelist had no desire to eat, but there were other noticeable facts too. He didn't look at any type of alcohol; it was as if alcohol had become his eternal enemy. Cigarettes were no longer his closest allies, for they too had become poisonous to him. In times of deep misery, many people turned to drugs and alcohol...but the novelist _threw _off his habits. That was strange, but excruciatingly difficult to think about.

The Seguchi placed his findings on a nearby table, removed his card from his pocket, placed it into the slot...and heard the door _click _open. He placed his hand on the doorknob and slowly revealed the room...unaware of what he was about to find.

"Yuki, guess what? I've found-"

The sight that greeted him broke his heart.

The novelist was listening to the radio. His eyes were no longer the eyes of a heartbroken zombie, but they were still lifeless and mournful. There was a soft, gentle song drifting in the air...and...

...**_he was singing._**

Eiri Yuki, a person that would have chosen death over singing in the past...was **_singing._**

"_What is it I'm waiting for, in this room without you _

_It's just the clock's ticking, but it resonates in my sleepless heart like _

_The sound of footsteps._

_Even now I'm waiting; I stop here alone._

_From where do you now see the moon we saw together on that day?"_

Tohma recognized the lyrics **_immediately._**

The song on the radio was a _Bad Luck song...and it was being performed by none other than Shuichi Shindou._

Tohma's eyes overflowed with tears. His heart exploded in pain...and he fell to the floor, heavy from sorrow.

For the first time, Eiri Yuki and Shuichi Shindou were singing...together.

* * *

"So what's up? Have you found anything yet?"

Two minutes had passed since Tohma had discovered the miracle within the hotel room. The voice of his wife, who was none other than Eiri's sister, was reaching him through his cell phone, but it was providing no relief. Eiri's sister was the reflection of Eiri himself; their physical appearances, personalities and voices were shockingly similiar. Those similarities, coupled with the fact that he loved her, just made everything harder...

"No. We haven't found a single trace of Shindou-sama. I'm afraid he's vanished into thin air."

Silence drifted between them for an eternity, then Mika's voice touched his ears once again. Her voice was fragile, but filled with qualities he had come to love deeply.

"It looks like my idiot of a brother did a perfectly good job of scaring Shuichi. The poor thing must be scared stiff somewhere."

"How are you? Is everything all right? Are the amenities of the hospital to your liking?"

She laughed at him gently.

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine. Just make you sure you come back, all right? I don't want our child to grow up without a father."

Her kindness always made him smile. He felt a small smile break out on his face, even though his entire body was aching from massive pain. "I'll be all right." he assured her, speaking to himself as well. "Don't you worry about me, Mika. Everything's going to be fine."

_Everything's going to be fine._

"And...Tohma?"

"Yes?"

His voice was strange to him. He felt as if his voice belonged to another person; it was faint, distant and almost foreign. One could have said that an alien was inhabiting his body, for everything about him felt completely strange. It was almost scary.

"Make sure my brother comes back in one piece. I know he was a prick in the past...but it sounds like he's showing his true colors now. I've waited for him to throw off the jackass act, and so...I want him to start over. I want things to be the way they were _**meant **_to be. Do you get me?"

"I understand, dear."

_I understand everything._

The conversation between them came to an end a moment later. The softhearted Seguchi closed his phone and made another attempt to enter the room, his heart throbbing against the tides of fear. He was no different from a frightened teenager in a horror film, for he was afraid to place his eyes on the room's events.

He opened door...

_...and was instantly greeted by a smile._

Eiri Yuki was sitting on the bed, wearing a smile that shattered the Seguchi's heart. It was a sorrowful, mournful smile...a smile of eternal pain and weariness...

"Hey."

The nourishment that had been found was completely forgotten. Tohma's eyes filled with tears, but he was determined to keep a smile on his face. "Hello, Yuki-sama." he said gently, making an attempt to keep his voice steady. "Did you enjoy your song?"

**_He wished for the opportunity to erase that question as soon as he said it._**

"Yeah. It's strange, but...I felt as if the two of us...were singing together. It was..."

The author's voice trailed off, which made things even worse. Silence tore at both of them for a minute, then Yuki's voice pierced the air again. It was soft, too soft to listen to...**_and there was another smile on his face..._**

"Tohma?"

"Yes?" He was perilously close to tears. He could barely even breathe.

Eiri's simple words broke his heart.

"Good night."

* * *

Two minutes later, Eiri was lost in another night of painful slumber.

Tohma Seguchi had his back slumped against the hotel door. **_The member of Nittle Grasper was lost in tears.

* * *

-The lyrics are from the Bad Luck song called 'In the Moonlight'. Hotel Sunroute is a true place in Nagasaki. As all of you know, Mika can't help with the search because she's about to have her baby!_**

I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter. ANGSTY ANGSTY ANGSTY! HEE HEE HEE!

Yeah, I'm almost back to my old self. AND IT'S THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!

Shuichi kinda reminds me of Chi...hee hee...BYE FOR NOW! HAPPY TRAILS TO ALL, AND GRAVI FOREVER!


	8. Eternal Rain

Eternal Naoki's back in full effect! Finally! Things are looking brighter, and I'm revved up! The angst is going to get even stronger, so I hope you're ready! I'm so excited! ANGST ANGST!

Please continue to enjoy my little fic! Feel free to leave any questions/comments/suggestions, but I am the mortal enemy of flames. **_If you want to get on my bad side, flame me.

* * *

_**

_Theme of 'Eternal Rain': 'Evacuating London' from Chronicles of Narnia OST, 'Endless Road' by Lazybatusu_

**_Warning: Major angst will lead to a major decision._** _I have no desire to offend/upset any of my readers. If the ending of this chapter disturbs you, please accept my deepest apologies. The ending was created to display the true depth of a certain character's pain._

**_

* * *

_**

Midnight was strolling through Hotel Sunroute.

The sky was a black, desolate oblivion. It was a field that held nothing but cold, solid pain...an ocean that consumed broken hearts. Icy winds were flowing throughout the skies, soaring throughout the world with the silence of merciless predators. There wasn't a single smile walking upon the earth, for the darkness refused to allow any form of happiness.

Annihilative black oceans were falling from the eternal field, and they were colder than the darkest of hearts. The ground was drenched in sorrowful tears; the skies were crying, for they had lost their brightest star. The very core of the earth was trembling from sorrow, and it was a painting of impenetrable pain. A river of perpetual darkness was flowing through the stitches of humanity, filled with the poison of broken dreams and lost promises.

Individuals were walking upon the desolate wasteland, but none of them were alive. All of them were zombies, broken souls lost in a torrent of relentless pain. Their eyes were solid oceans, their mouths were locked in eternal silence, and their bodies were drenched in rivers of blood. All of them were completely silent, but speech wasn't necessary for any of them. Mournful, endless dirges were silently drifting throughout the air, and every dirge belonged to a torn soul. Hearts were in crystal shards, souls were lost in endless pain, dreams no longer existed...the concept of happiness had been torn from the world, and so the entire planet was a dead ocean.

Only one soul was able to contain himself in the shattered realm of humanity. He was searching for a certain young star, and knew that he couldn't sink into the world's obscurity. The star's disappearance was the origin of the darkness, and in order to restore the light of happiness...the star had to be found.

In order to restore the light of happiness to his heart, the star had to be found.

His rapid footsteps tore away at the wet earth. His heart screamed with every breath he took, with every step he made. His soul screamed for his star's smile...and his body ached with the desire to embrace the young star. Breathing in a world without the ethereal star was agonizingly difficult; the concept of life had no meaning at all. The light of happiness was no longer present, and so life was meaningless. It was a dark, empty void of death...a realm of vicious pain.

Basic functions were horrendously bizarre tasks-he couldn't breathe, blink or even think. His eyes were frozen, held down by the immortal night's winds...and his blood was a black stream of ice. A small movement was excruciatingly hard...everything was just too hard to endure...

He wanted to see him again. He wanted to be near him.

An eternity elapsed within the endless night. He brought his footsteps to an end, and quickly scanned his environment with fearful eyes. His heart refused to cease its screaming, and his body wouldn't stop aching...he felt as if he were drowning in the blackest poison...everything was just too hard...

Silence ate away at his soul, and then a soft voice pierced his heart. It was a familiar voice, a voice that filled his heart with immeasurable happiness...

"Yuki?"

The identity of the speaker was uncovered instantly. As soon as the identification process was completed, Eiri Yuki felt his heart soar into a depth of happiness he had never felt before. Immaculate bliss fell into his shivering heart, and filled his body with a golden river of warmth. The warmth was beautiful, too beautiful to comprehend...too beautiful to be restrained by the boundaries of description. The beauteous joy was unfamiliar to him, yet he felt as if he had always been in its presence. It filled his eyes, warmed his cold body and created hopeful tears...

One name left his trembling heart, and it drifted throughout the cold air. It was a name he had been unable to whisper for so many days and nights. It was a name he had always loved, and wanted to love until the end of time.

"Shuichi?"

Raindrops fell upon them as they drifted through silence, gazing into each other's eyes. The eyes of the novelist were radiant with newborn hope...but the eyes of the vocalist were filled with annihilative emotions. Silence reigned over them as their hearts throbbed against uncertainty...then the novelist's fragile voice fell into the vocalist's heart.

"Is it you, Shuichi? Is it...really you?"

A blade pierced Eiri's heart a second later. Shuichi Shindou was right in front of him, drenched in cold rainwater, but he was no different from the zombies walking upon the earth. He had the ability to produce speech, but his heart was no longer filled with pristine jubilance. The light of pure, endless love was no longer abundant in his eyes; his eyes were cold, deep chasms. They were filled with the melody of broken dreams, filled with the shattered promise of eternity...

...and they were burning right into Eiri's eyes.

The vocalist's voice was still soft and gentle, but it wasn't joyous. It was a mournful, endless dirge of betrayal, sorrow and pain. It drove a stake into Eiri's heart, and crushed the novelist's delicate soul.

"What do you want?"

Those simple words strengthened the darkness.

Eiri's voice was frail. It was a thin glass shard, a shard that carried no strength. It was filled with hope, but it was also radiant with fear. The treasure of his heart was right in front of him...but there was something wrong. The love of his life wasn't shimmering with his usual beauty; he was drowning in the night's darkness. It was as if another being had thrown himself in Shuichi's heart, for the vocalist wasn't his pure, cheerful self. He was a being filled with hatred, a shattered bird filled with pain and agony...

"I...I just wanted...to see you again."

The departure of those words brought a fact to the light.

_**He and Shuichi had switched places.**_

The vocalist's facial expression drove a knife through Eiri's heart. Looking at the one he loved...was just so hard...for the vocalist wasn't himself...

Cruel laughter drew itself from Shuichi's lips, and it tormented the novelist mercilessly. The tone of his voice increased Eiri's pain, and robbed the novelist of his strength.

"You wanted to see me? You're amazing, you know that? What do you want me for? I don't belong to you. I'm not one of your little playthings anymore, Yuki."

Rain rose from Eiri's soul and fell from his eyes. It united with the rain of the skies, and bestowed an aura of sorrow upon the cold, black earth.

"You...you were never...I..."

A lightning bolt of cruel, vindictive laughter crashed into the author's broken heart.

"Why should I waste any more time with you? I never meant anything to you!"

Words tore themselves from Eiri's heart, and each word caused his body to become excruciatingly heavy...

**_"That's not true! That isn't true at all! That's not true!"_**

**_"I gave you my heart! I gave you my soul! I gave you EVERYTHING...and you crushed it! You crushed it all! I was nothing more than a toy! A meaningless, insignificant PLAYTHING!"_**

Sobs tore themselves from Eiri's heart. Thunder laughed and laughed in his ears...lightning consumed him, tormented him...

**_...the voice of Shuichi Shindou tortured him..._**

**_"I thought that we would spend the rest of our lives together, but you tore every one of my dreams apart! You never loved me-you never even smiled at me! I will NEVER mean anything to you!"_**

He could feel himself sinking into the night...he could feel himself sinking into eternal rain...everything was so cold, just so cold...

Whispers drifted into the storm...and they fell into nothingness...

"Shuichi...I love you...I've always loved you...I love you..."

_I love you...my bright star...my songbird..._

_I love you..._

* * *

His eyes opened and met the ceiling of the hotel room. The room was dark and cold, even though the heating unit was operating. Tohma Seguchi was at the table, lost in dark slumber. The softhearted nanny had unwittingly succumbed to slumber; the position of his body made that evident. He looked uncomfortable, but his heart was nowhere near his own comfort. His face, even though he was lost in slumber, was twisted with sorrow; he was a painting of gentle, tender sadness. His cell phone was in his hand, he was still in the garments he had worn throughout the day, and his face was moist from tear water.

The novelist's heart fell further into cold, endless pain. The dream he had just descended from was so clear, so vivid...so cruel and horrific...

...reality was no different.

He wasn't in the middle of a rainstorm, but everything was still dark. Life was still cold, still too hard to hold onto. Breathing was still a difficult, horrendous task...for the air was icy and heavy with pain...and Shuichi was nowhere near him..

"Shuichi..."

His whisper fell into obscurity. No one answered him. No one even heard him.

The radio was still on, but the volume was a tender one. There were voices coming from the radio, but they were small...too frail to be heard. They drifted into silence, right along with Eiri's heart...

His body was on fire. It ached and ached with indescribable pain...his head was filled with immoderate pain...his heart wouldn't stop screaming...his eyes wouldn't stop burning...

**_It...was...all..._**

**_...so hard..._**

"You're in pain...because of me...I..."

His chest exploded with pain, and oceans tore themselves from his heart. His body was excruciatingly light, yet horrendously heavy at the same time...and he felt so hot...

"I...I'm so sorry..."

The world became blurry. It began to fade away from him...and everything was just...so cold...

He placed a hand on his forehead, feeling his body throb against the winds of infinite pain. Oceans fell from his heart and drenched his blankets...

"I don't deserve to lay eyes on you again. I don't deserve to be near you anymore. I...don't...deserve you...at all..."

_I'm nothing...but a monster. I'm not even human._

_I can't breathe, I can't sleep...I can't live without you..._

_...but I don't deserve you..._

Breathing became impossible. The ability to think crumbled. His body became hotter...his vision became cloudier...

"I can't do this. I can't...Shu-chan..."

_I wish you could hear me. I wish...I could see your smile...one last time..._

* * *

The hotel room offered many resources for human life. It offered the necessities for meals, bathing and relaxation. It held a small set of knives, which were meant to be used for mealtime. However, Eiri Yuki had found another purpose for the blades. At one o'clock in the morning, Tohma Seguchi realized this.

He rose from his place at the table...

_...and found Eiri Yuki on the cold, dark floor._

His head was resting in a small pool of blood. His eyes were closed...and...and...

A gasp of immeasurable pain tore itself from Tohma's lips, and a sorrowful cry followed it.

**_A knife was several inches away from the novelist's right hand...and his wrist was open._**


	9. Thunder

Welcome to 'Thunder', the newest entry to 'Kakumei'! The excitement grows higher and higher with each passing day! I've read so many more Gravi fics, they're really too hard to keep up with! We Gravitation authors have to stick together, yes precious? WRITE ON! Get it? Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

I am happy to announce the location of the finale! The grand finale is going to occur in the Empire State Building of New York, but what's going to happen? Is Eiri gone forever? Will the finale center on just Shuichi and Yoshi? Will Yoshi's dreams come true? I POSSESS THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE FUTURE! You unfortunate souls will just have to wait! Hold on your seatbelts, hee hee hee!

All reviews accepted! However, flames are my immortal enemies. I just found a few more flames in the Gravi fics I've read, and so I hate them even more. **_DON'T FLAME ME, PLEASE!_**

Enjoy! Happy reading!

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_Theme of 'Thunder': Mermaid Princess of Chobits anime, Wunderkind by Alanis Morrisette (Chronicles of Narnia OST). Music for Yoshi's party: Sean Paul's 'We Be Burnin'. (A/N: I love that song)

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_

_Note: Sawasdee Sumiyoshi restaurant is a true place within Nagoya, Japan. Thank you for reading. Researching for 'Kakumei' is fun. Another note: Original characters will be introduced in this chapter. I would like to issue another warning for this chapter: something big is going to hit Shuichi. If any of you have seen Coyote Ugly, think of that when you reach Yoshi's party.

* * *

_

When a lion waits for an opportunity to strike its prey, it assumes an enigmatic, silent position. It enters a world of thought, and searches for a solution to its situation. Claude K. Winchester, who was affectionately referred to as 'K', was up in an obscure, unpredictable position. His eyes were calm and silent, but they held a desire to spring out at audience. His body was in a serene position, but at the same time he was in the stance of a determined warrior. One could have easily said that he was relaxing, for he was enjoying a drink...but closer inspection revealed that he was silently searching for a solution. He was searching for a solution that seemed to be non-existent, but he was ready to sacrifice anything to find it.

His thoughts were hidden behind his eyes. Not even his companion knew his mind's activity. K was known for his random acts of chaotic silliness, and he was notorious for being dangerously unpredictable. His companion knew that he was wrestling with some invisible force, but the officer had a perfectly calm exterior. Both of them seemed to be having a peaceful meeting, but only they knew their current emotions. K, of course, was silently lost in a battle; his companion was silently trying to put the pieces of a puzzle together.

All of Japan was aware of Shuichi Shindou's disappearance, and its people were in despair. Bad Luck had an immeasurable fan base, thanks to the endearing qualities of its puppy-eyed vocalist, and at the moment, the band's fans were drowning in misery. Many of them were filled with the fury of frustration; some of them were conducting searches of their own. Many devoted fans were sharing their thoughts inside of the Sawasdee Sumiyoshi, and not a single thought was drenched in optimism.

"It's been..._how _many days now?"

"What do you think happened?"

"I don't know. Shindou was a spirited ball of energy. I didn't know him, but I miss him the way I would miss a _brother. _Don't you remember Bad Luck's last tour? Man, it was incredible!"

"I'll never forget it. I reserved a seat for their _next _tour, but it doesn't look like there's gonna be one now. They can't go on without Shuichi."

"You can say that again."

Ark, K's closest friend, narrowed his eyes at the officer in frustration. K was calmly sipping at his drink, but he was clearly frustrated about the current situation. K had a knack for hiding behind secretive masks; he even admitted to enjoying the masks he created. The officer asked him a question after an eternity of silence, his voice as nonchalant as a bartender's.

"How's your Fakuton?"

Ark looked down at his dish in surprise. He had completely forgotten its presence, but was in no mood to finish it off. He removed his focus from it after a second of acknowledgement, and placed his attention back on K. "Don't give me that." he snapped firmly. "Your silence is annoying me. You usually aren't this quiet. It's really hard to read you."

K smiled at him roguishly, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Well, what do you expect? We aren't in the middle of a cruise here. My pals haven't seen Shuichi in _days. _Sightseeing is fun, but not when you're in the middle of a search. And to make matters worse, we haven't found a damn thing. It's as if Shindou's fallen off the face of the earth."

Ark detected something he had never heard before in K's voice; brotherly concern. Shuichi was no longer just a 'missing person'. He was a friend that needed to be found...a dear friend. He had filled K's life with a jubilance that could never be replaced, and the officer missed him dearly.

"I bet your pals really miss him, eh?"

"You bet they do." K replied sadly, twirling his beloved guns about his fingers. "They've made new friends, but Shindou's their lifelong friend. I can't tell you how _depressing _this is."

K's beloved possessions 'made friends' every time he set off on random rampages. They had many several 'friends' already, and they were on their way to making more. Of course, K's gunfire didn't harm anyone; he created explosions just for the spirit of things. He was a bloodhound on the trail...unfortunately, the person he was looking for was nowhere to be found, so he was a little on the edge.

The officer released a heavy sigh, and then gulped down the rest of his drink. "During your last investigation, I received an update from Seguchi." he reported, his calm eyes drowning in frustration. "And guess _what? _He told me that Eiri Yuki made an attempt at **_suicide."_**

Ark's eyes widened in sorrow. His food and drink fell into oblivion as he placed all of his attention on K, who looked like a historian that had failed to finish the world's greatest mystery. "Are you serious?" he asked him gently, and received a stern nod in return.

"I couldn't be _more_ serious. Seguchi was _hysterical._"

"Is everything all right _now?"_

"I highly doubt that it is. Seguchi's reports are never optimistic. Yuki's emotionally unstable, and they've been unable to locate any information. Things aren't too good on _their _end, either."

He took a moment to reflect upon his thoughts, and then he continued. His eyes were filled with sadness, weariness and confusion. His voice was no different.

"Seguchi rescued Yuki, but he _barely_ missed him. It was a close call, from what I heard."

Ark looked like someone watching a horrific science-fiction movie. His gentle personality was shining in his eyes, and through his voice. "Wow...I can't believe it!" he said softly, bearing the voice of a millionaire that lost everything in one swoop. "Eiri Yuki actually tried to snuff himself out? Why do you think-"

"Why _else? _He misses Shindou like **_crazy."_**

Ark's eyes became the eyes of a saddened lamb. "But if he loves Shindou so much, then why was he such a-"

"Yuki's treatment against Shindou led us to the worst assumptions. His foul, filthy behavior led us to believe that he was nothing more than a low-life. His reaction to this entire situation, however, flipped my assumptions inside out. Shindou's disappearance has caused his entire psyche to **_crash. _**You remember me telling you about his attempt at suicide, right? He's emotionally unstable. All of these factors lead up to _one _thing; Eiri Yuki's _finally _showing his true colors. He took Shindou for granted, and this tragedy brought him to the light. That's all there is to it."

Sadness caused Ark's heart to plunge into obscurity. If he had been a canine, his ears would've lowered and a soft whimper would've made a descent. Silence pounded on both of them for a few minutes, then Ark asked the question that was on _both _minds.

"Do you think we'll find him?"

This question brought on a response Ark didn't expect to see. _It was a response he would never forget._

Claude K. Winchester's eyes became _sad. _

"K..."

The only answer Ark received was silence.

* * *

If someone had said there was a dog show going off in Yoshi's home, they wouldn't have been too far from the bulls-eye. Her house was alive with excitement, all because she was hellbent on showing off her new 'puppy'. Her home, which was usually silent with the serenity of an enigmatic night, was filled to the rims with adrenaline; music was at a high volume, streams of confetti were soaring through atmosphere, and jubilant voices were piercing the cool air. The owner of the house was throwing her newest guest a party, and was happily showing him off. All of them were cooing over him as if he really _were _a puppy, acting as if they had never seen a cute being. In their eyes, Yoshi's new toy was the cutest thing alive. His appearance, which had been completely remodeled by the Garren salon, held them in a fiery trance. His hair had lost its pure pink jubilance; it was now _black. _The color change was accompanied by an elegant, slick cut; a long strand of hair was stuck to each cheek, and the rest of his hair seemed to be locked on his head. His new look horrified him, but it made all of New York fall madly in love with him.

"He's absolutely **_adorable! _**Can I hold him?"

"I'll take him home! Hey cutie, why don't you shack up with me? I'll help you recover from your iddy-bitty break up!"

"The poor thing's scared to death! He's soooo vulnerable!"

"Puppies are at their cutest when they're vulnerable. They're _perfect _for picking."

The 'vulnerable puppy' was completely oblivious to _everything. _To him, they were sweet, friendly and enthusiastic women; in other words, they were no different from Yoshi. In his eyes, they were a little on the weird side, but they meant no harm.

His interpretation of the situation was **_way _**off the mark.

"Hey Yoshi! Bring us some of the good stuff! I bet he'd like a taste of it!"

Those words sent a thunderbolt through him. The 'good stuff' was evidently alcohol, and he had **_no _**tolerance for any kind of alcohol. He had consumed several of Yuki's beer bottles in the past (out of sheer curiosity), and his horrific hangover caused him to regret everything. But, of course, he was clueless when it came to the forces of evil...

"Thank you, but I don't drink!"

The one that had demanded the 'good stuff', a tall female with luminous brown eyes, placed a hand on Shuichi's shoulder. She received a frightened facial expression as a response to her movement, and she gave him the response a lion would give to a fearful mouse.

She licked her lips.

"Don't worry, sweet thing. It'll be fine. It's nothing heavy, right?"

Her companion, a smaller female with long black hair, grinned at them. She emitted an aura that told Shuichi she was enjoying some of the good stuff, and that made things even worse. Her voice proved everything.

"Of course it isn't heavy! He'll tolerate it! And if he doesn't, I'll just have to give him a little rubdown! He'd like that, wouldn't he?"

"Sure he would. Your boyfriend wouldn't, though!" her friend shot back at her, and she received a cold glare in response.

"Go screw yourself. He won't care about me petting that cute little thing."

An elegant wine glass was shoved in Shuichi's hands a second later, and he found the mischievous eyes of Yoshi. Her outfit displayed the sleek, graceful beauty of her body perfectly, which made her ecstatic. She smiled at him, and then delivered a wink.

"Here! Take a drink!"

_**He was a fish out of water.**_

"But-"

"Don't worry about it, dollface! Nothing's gonna happen to ya! 'Sides, you only live _once! _Enjoy yourself! Go on!"

Right then and there, Shuichi Shindou's world turned inside out.

Nobody laid a hand on Yoshi's stereo system, but the music soared beyond an excruciating level. The voices of her friends became louder, the lights became brighter...

...nothing was right.

Everything was all **_wrong._**

He didn't belong here. New York wasn't his home. And he didn't belong with Yoshi.

_It was all...wrong..._

"Hey there, sexy. Drink that and you'll forget your troubles! I promise!"

Those words came from another on of Yoshi's friends, and they were the perfect weapons. Shuichi digested those words for a minute, and thought of the pain he had endured during that fateful night in Tokyo. He had placed his heart in the deepest of wishes; he had believed in fairy tales...he had believed in true love. That night caused all of those beliefs to shrivel up and die.

His Prince Charming didn't love him. He didn't want to have anything to do with him.

His adventure in New York was a blast. He was able to witness sights he had never dreamt of before, and was able to eat the treasures of many worlds. The trip to the salon alone was a wonderful experience, even though he was reluctant to give up his natural look. He had only spent a few days in Yoshi's world, but he loved it dearly. There was only one problem, though.

**_It wasn't his._**

The translucent red liquid left the glass and entered Shuichi's body. After the last drop made its descent into him, he gathered his strength and spoke.

"Yoshi!"

His caretaker had a large fanbase. She was in the arms of several men, and she was enjoying her company. She loved it when her admirers worshiped her.

"That's right, daddy! Bring it home, right here! You're a bunch of tigers!"

The vocalist's heart **_sank. _**He loved New York, but it wasn't his home. It wasn't where he belonged. His world was Tokyo; he didn't belong in Yoshi's wild party.

"_Yoshi!"_

She searched for the owner of the voice, and found his face a moment later. At first she looked irritated, but then her heart melted. Her puppy wasn't happy.

"What is it, baby cakes? What's on your mind?"

His eyes were filled with a fervent level of sadness; the sadness was strong that it was practically fierce. He was sad, so sad...

"I'd...I'd like...to..."

She thought he was the cutest thing, and she was ready to eat him.

"You'd like to do _what, _sweet cheeks?"

Shuichi looked like a timid student facing a furious teacher.

"...I'd...like...to go home tomorrow, please."

_**Her response set off a red alarm.**_

"Sorry. You can't, sweet thing. Yeah, that's it! Bring it home!"

Fear shot into Shuichi's eyes and caused them to become radiant, violet diamonds.

"Why not?"

"You and I aren't finished! I'm keeping you a little longer!"

The vocalist became sick to his stomach. **_Something was definitely about to happen. Nothing felt right._**

"_**How much longer?"**_

"Oh, I'd say...until the end of forever. You aren't going anywhere, Shuichi!"

His eyes became solid pools of cold, hard fear. Everything crumbled beneath his feet. The music became louder and louder...his head began to spin...**_the room began to spin_**...

"I've caught my fish and now I'm ready to reel him in! You're my new toy, sweet thing!"

_...his head began to pound...nausea struck him..._

"_**What are you saying?"**_

"I'm not beating around the bush. You're all mine now, and that's the bottom line. Get used to it."

_...his heartbeat rose to a painful speed..._

"_**You tricked me?"**_

"Not really. You fell for everything _yourself, _you broken thing you. Oh, and since we're on the subject of betrayal...I didn't really call your pals. They have no idea where you are! Pretty sneaky of me, right?"

Shuichi Shindou fell to his knees, clutching his heart. His breathing became rapid...sweat began to soak his heaving body...the music became louder...

"_**You...you KIDNAPPED me!"**_

He had been nothing more than a _toy _to her. She saw him as plaything, an _animal. _He was nothing more than her toy, and now...**_he was also her hostage_**.

The vocalist's heart was infinitely pure, and so heavy reality never sat well with him. The dirge of betrayal slapped him right in the face, and ate away at his heart. He had placed his trust in Yoshi, and she was laughing at it.

His heart began to pound faster...nausea exploded and soared throughout his body...the world continued to spin..._none of his friends knew where he was..._

_...everything was all wrong...so wrong..._

A bright light exploded in front of him, then strength evaporated from his body. His body became excruciatingly heavy; it felt so heavy that it was practically foreign. Cold claws attacked every limb of his body, and fire tore at his bloodstream...

_**He couldn't call for help. His cell phone was no longer in existence. Its life had ended during his flight from Yuki's house.**_

Yoshi's true heart became clear. He was now afraid of her _and_ her companions; he felt like a broken lion trapped in a cage. Her exterior was an upbeat one, but now he could see who she truly was. She was an unpredictable, vindictive fox.

_I'm...I'm trapped..._

"Hey Yoshiki! I think something's wrong with your new toy!"

"I knew he wouldn't be able to handle it! It **_was _**too heavy for him, the poor thing!"

The world quickened its pace. It wouldn't stop spinning..._his life was in danger..._

"Yoshiki! I guess it's finally time!"

"You're right. We'll tie him down as soon as he falls, and then we'll have mealtime."

Shuichi Shindou's eyes closed. One last word left his lips, and that word..._was a name._

"Yuki..."


	10. Rising Heart

Welcome to the next chapter, 'Rising Heart'! Things are almost at the finish line, and I'm ready to go! Please enjoy the rest of my story! I hope I do a great job on the finale! ENJOY MY WORK OF SELF-DISCOVERY, ANGST AND MORE ANGST! I'm going to try really hard on this chapter; I hope I do a good job with Tohma and Eiri!

I've planned a sequel for 'Kakumei'. I can't wait to get started on the future!

* * *

_Theme of 'Rising Heart': 'Evacuating London' from Narnia OST_

_Note: Eiri's question was inspired by 'Unsent Letters', a masterpiece written by AZnEyes. The entire chapter was inspired by that work of art.

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_

The storm had finally died down.

The room was still cold, but silence was flowing through its seams peacefully. The silence was tainted by the melody of uncertainty, but the flow of it was certainly a lot easier to handle than the chaotic flow of several hours ago. Both of the room's inhabitants were drenched in silence; one was dressing the wound of the other, and both of their hearts were filled with fear. Tears were streaming down the nurse's face, and his body was shivering from the room's low temperature, but he was determined to care for his beloved charge.

Eiri Yuki's eyes were focused on the nurse's face. The novelist's eyes were filled with perpetual pain, sorrow and embarrassment; he bore the face of a guilty, timid child that had just committed a crime. His mouth was closed, but at the moment, words were not necessary. His eyes were vivid, eloquent paintings...and they possessed a depth of power that shamed the human vocabulary. He looked as if he had just attempted to rob a bank; his face was tight from sadness, and he was unable to speak. His silence failed to annoy Tohma Seguchi, though.

_**It just made his pain stronger.**_

Ten eternities passed between the two of them, and then Tohma lunged into a river of speech. The softhearted Seguchi's eyes took on a life of their own; they became articulate, poignant flames of emotion. His voice was a swift, frantic river, and it was only rivaled by the qualities of his eyes.

"_I still can't believe you tried to take your own life! What were you thinking? I can't leave you alone for five minutes! You scared me half to death, Eiri!"_

Tohma was in the role of a frenetic mother, and Eiri was the silent, guilty child. The novelist's eyes were filled with a heart-rending level of sadness, but he didn't regret making an attempt on suicide. He truly felt as if he no longer deserved to life, and no longer had the strength to do so...for his bright star was nowhere near him. The world was a dark, empty oblivion...and he didn't want to linger in it.

"_You can't see Shindou-sama again if you're **dead, **Eiri-sama! I simply cannot leave you alone! I feel as though I'm watching over an infant!"_

Eiri held his silence. There was _nothing _to say; words were useless. He had spent most of his life as a novelist, but...words no longer meant anything. The basics of human life were sickening to him. The very concept of life sickened him.

_**Life had no meaning...without Shuichi.**_

Tohma finished the fourth dressing of Eiri's wound. He had spent the last couple of hours fussing over him...the way an anxious mother would have fussed over a newborn infant. The gentle Seguchi was hysterical for the first hour; his frame of mind crumbled as soon as he saw Eiri on the floor, and so breathing was an excruciating task. After the expiration of that hour, however, he regained the ability to think and gave proper care to his companion's wound. In the true fashion of a mother, he dressed it with unnecessary attention and showered the novelist with even more attention. Silence made its descent upon them after a while, and led up to the wound's fourth dressing.

Eiri Yuki's condition was astoundingly unstable. It was a lot worse than Tohma had predicted it to be. The novelist had locked himself in a world of silence again, and his eyes were filled with emotions that penetrated the definition of humanity. His emotions were simple, yet deep and strong...strong enough to break the boundaries of reality. The Seguchi never thought he would witness such strong emotions in a human, but they were right in front of him, and they were frightening him. He had cared for Eiri several times in the past, but those times were walks in the park compared to his current service term.

"Honestly, I wish you'd refrain from such exercises! I know your heart's under a lot of pressure, but you must hold on! I know Shindou-sama's out there, somewhere!"

"Tohma?"

The sound of Eiri's voice made something painfully clear; Tohma was dangerously on the brink of insanity. He wouldn't have been surprised if he had jumped at his own shadow.

"What is it, Eiri-sama?"

"What's it like to be human?"

For a moment, the Seguchi's heart stopped. Its decision to cease its beating caused Tohma to clutch his chest, and the temporary loss of a heartbeat almost brought him to his knees. The question Eiri had given him would have been expected from a five-year old...but it certainly wasn't expected from the novelist. The look on Eiri's face told Tohma that he was **_dead serious _**about the question, and there was no way to avoid the heartache that came from it.

The Seguchi's voice was quaky, but he gave him the best answer he could give. His eyes took on the aura of a brokenhearted sage, and he was placed into the role of a schoolteacher.

"Well...humans are susceptible to a countless amount of things. The world they walk upon is filled with many elements, and each human absorbs them in their own way. Emotions, experiences and dreams are just a few of those elements...and they each bear their own power. Their hearts can shed tears of pain, and their souls can conjure endless possibilities. Dreams are crafted within the hearts of humans, and they rise to meet the sun as soon as they're made. Many dreams are filled with greed, others are filled with pain...but there are dreams that are filled with hope, love and guidance. Those dreams are the true gems of humanity. I believe they carry the _true _spirit of humanity.

Humans experience all kinds of emotions. Love...sorrow...fear...anger...all of them are known to human kind. Emotions tie us together...and make us stronger."

_Love..._

_**Love...**_

Eiri's voice was a soft, fragile murmur. It was radiant with its natural nonchalance, but it was filled with the sorrow of brokenhearted kitten.

"So...I'm human..."

What happened next almost caused Tohma to fall into loud, vibrant sobs.

An ethereal light descended into Eiri's eyes, and it brought a miraculous depth of beauty to them. The light awakened every part of his heart; it awakened the innocence of a child, the broken expectations of a tormented soul, and the dreams of a hopeful star. The fragments of his soul united as one, and brought their unity into his eyes. The celestial ray of translucent humanity bloomed in his eyes, and soared through his chilled body. It brought forth an emotion Tohma never experienced before; true, unbridled happiness. The light was an unrestricted, pure light...one that wasn't tied to the past, or even the present. It was tied to the future, and it held the promise of endless dreams.

_**It was the light of true love.**_

Tohma had never seen such a pure light within Eiri's eyes. He had witnessed Eiri's past as a timid, shy child...but he had never witnessed such a miracle before. The light within the novelist's eyes held the true depth of humanity...and his eyes were...**_beautiful._**

There was another question at the podium, and it was ready to be delivered.

"What do you live for?"

"That's easy." Tohma said softly, his face beaming with immoderate sunlight. His smile was painfully tight; it was so tight that it was almost excruciating, especially since he had spent the last couple of days creating _fake _smiles.

"I live for the light of love."

Silence returned to their room, but it was a type of silence they had not heard for many eternities.

It was the type of silence that created **_hope_**.

"Last question. Do you think he'll listen to what I have to say?"

The smile on Tohma's face became **_brighter. _**Holding up such a huge smile was difficult, but the difficulty didn't annoy him at all.

"Of course he will. I didn't just say that to please you, Eiri-sama. I _know _he'll listen to you. Shindou-sama will hear what your heart has to say, and he'll accept it. His heart bears incredible warmth. Don't you worry about anything."

Eiri's face took on another first-time expression. It took on the emotions of a sweet, shy child that was in the process of digesting a lesson on life. His eyes scanned the room for a moment; it was as if he was searching for another question to ask. When he failed to find another, soft contentment filled his eyes, and restored the embarrassment that had once been there. That entire process caused Tohma's heart to **_melt._**

"_**Eiri-sama, you're simply adorable!"**_

The novelist gave him one of his 'don't touch me, jackass' glares. The glare didn't faze Tohma, though; the gentle Seguchi launched himself onto the novelist and wrapped his arms around him.

"_You're so cute! I think I've fallen in love with you!"_

"_**GET OFF OF ME, UNLESS YOU'VE GOT SOME TYPE OF DEATH WISH!"**_

"_That's the Eiri I know I love! Oh, you've returned to me! What a joyous day this is!"_

"_**I said get the hell off of me! You make me sick!"**_

"Oh, I know that translates into 'I love you too, Tohma'. You're simply adorable!"

Tohma kept his arms around Eiri for another eternity, and savored the sunlight within the room. Both of them had spent so many days lingering in pain...but the light of hope had finally returned. Eiri had recovered his soul from the depths of despair, and was evidently ready to continue down the path of life. Tohma's decision to rescue him made something clear; he was ready to bring the truth to the light. Both of them knew Shuichi was drifting somewhere...and he **_deserved _**the truth.

The Seguchi spoke after the blissful silence, his voice _radiant _with pristine bliss.

"Now that you've finally recovered, why don't you and I warm each other?"

Eiri's trademark emotions brought themselves forth. His cold, hard exterior exposed itself...but there was something new. That exterior was filled with the warmth of his_ interior._

"Why don't you go and _screw _yourself. I'm saving myself, so **_beat it. _**I wouldn't _warm myself _with you if you were the **_last _**person on Earth."

"So! You've finally given your soul to Shindou-sama!" Tohma proclaimed joyously, enjoying the warmth of the newborn miracle. "You're giving up the life of a playboy, and you're giving yourself to your one, true love! How beautiful!"

The look on Eiri's face betrayed the emotions within his eyes. His facial expression was a firm, stern one...but his eyes were warm, and filled with the hope of a newborn eagle. "Ugh." he said, his voice filled with playful scorn. "You really _are _an **_idiot."_**

His eyes scanned the room once again, and after a minute, disgust poured itself into his eyes.

"Where's the food you were supposed to bring? Don't tell me you forgot it."

Tears of rapture filled Tohma's eyes. Eiri had refused to eat anything ever since the beginning of their search...but now..._he was hungry._

"Why Eiri-sama, I believe that was hours ago. I believe the food is long gone by now-but I'd love to locate more."

_What happened...?_

"Wait a minute. I thought you didn't have any more questions to ask me?"

Eiri delivered a look that would have killed a dragon, but it brought even more tears to Tohma's eyes. The one he knew loved had finally returned...and he was happy to have him back.

_I missed him so much...I thought I was so close to losing him. But I wonder...what happened?_

Silence walked back into the room, and it tied them close. It tied them into a bond they had never fallen into before; a bond of true, everlasting loyalty and devotion. They had found each other in the past, but now they were ready to face the future...with their hearts held high. One was ready to expose the truth of his heart; the other was ready to accompany his companion. During the silence, Tohma took Eiri's hand and squeezed it, his face beaming with the aura of endless hope. Bearing a smile about his own face, Eiri squeezed it even harder...and felt their hearts fall into a newborn utopia of prosperity.

Tohma broke the silence with his gentle, tender voice. Tears were still streaming from his eyes, but they were tears of **_happiness. _**

"May I ask you a question, Eiri-sama?"

"You just did."

"You know very well what I mean."

"Go right ahead."

"What are _you_ living for?"

The answer brought a fact to the light.

_**Eiri Uesugi had finally emerged from the darkness. Eiri Yuki was no longer in existence.**_

"I'm living for a dream. The dream I should have followed from the start of my pitiful existence."

"What dream is that, pray tell?"

"The dream of true love."

Silence returned, but only for a moment. Firm, unyielding courage filled Eiri's face, and it bestowed a golden richness to his voice. His eyes became the stars from a moonlit dream...they took on a surreal appearance, and filled Tohma's heart with even more joy.

"Someone out there is calling for me. His heart's calling out to mine...and I intend to answer him. When I find him, I'll tell him everything...and I'll ask for nothing in return. There's only one thing I want, and that's his happiness."

Sobs of joy fell into Tohma's body, and they racked his heart intensely. Tears overflowed from his eyes, and each tear shimmered with the light of a newborn dream. The novelist had finally regained the heart he had from the past...but it was filled with the strength he had created over the years. He looked like a warrior...

_**...he looked like a prince.**_

A tiny smile fell on Eiri's face.

"And, if for some reason I _don't _find him...I'll tell him anyway. I'll let him know everything, because after everything he's been through, he deserves an explanation."

Emotions exploded in Tohma's chest, and caused his chest to become **_tight. _**More oceans fell from his eyes, and his tender voice became hoarse. "You really **_do _**love him, don't you?" he asked Eiri softly, and received a wink in return.

"I've _always _loved him. I can't tell you how much I want to see him again, Tohma. I can't tell you how much I've wanted to hold him...I can't even tell you how much I've wanted to call out his name. I love him...more than words can say. I want to hold and protect him. My heart wants to drink in his smiles...and my soul wants to hear his voice. I want him near me...because...my heart wants to fall into his. He means **_everything_** to me. Without him, life doesn't mean much. It's just...one empty hole."

Tohma's facial expression caused embarrassment to fall into Eiri's soft eyes.

"I must've sounded like a dumbass. I guess I've written too many sappy novels. Sorry about that."

"No. You misunderstood my expression. You didn't sound ridiculous."

Tohma's voice was filled with shock...and immortal sunlight.

"You were _beautiful. _You shouldn't be afraid to express the truth of your heart._"_

"Thanks for putting up with me. I know this hasn't been a picnic for _you _either."

"Don't mention it, Eiri-sama. You know I'll always treasure our friendship."

The passage of time brought upon even more peace. The cessation of an hour found two hearts in slumber. One heart was falling through newborn bliss; the other was walking upon a newborn road. He had found his purpose in life, and now had the strength to answer the call of destiny. He had spent so many years drifting through pain...but now it was time...for him to capture the essence of life's true meaning.

It was time...for a prince to answer the call of a young heart.

* * *

-I know I just posted 'Thunder', but I had a lot of free time today, and I'm really excited about my little story! I'm excited about **_being _**here! I've read so many fics; they're all so hard to keep up with! I'll have to update my profile soon...waaah...too much work...

I hope the interaction between Eiri and Tohma worked. I wanted to stay true to their characters, but at the same time, I wanted to add my own touches to them...to strengthen the theme of self-discovery. I really hope it worked! ANOTHER UPDATE WILL FOLLOW TOMMORROW! THANK YOU FOR READING!

_If you enjoy 'Kakumei', you may enjoy these fics. 'Love Means' by NintendoNut1, 'Unsent Letters' by AZnEyes, 'Lies, Deceit and Unwanted Pain' by my pal Dejichan444, 'Why?' by kyogotmilk and 'Leaving Affections' by the Great LaDiDaanifan._

Hee hee! I thought it would be fun to add my own recommendations. Have fun, and happy trails to all! May love bloom forever! Until tomorrow, I'm out!


	11. Countdown

Welcome to 'Countdown', one of the entries that will lead to the finale! I just ate the latest entry of 'Why' up, and now I've got goosebumps! I'm actually cold right now, and the room I'm in is warm! Sheesh! That story is the definition of an Oscar award! If you really wanna read another fic about Shuichi being held hostage, READ THAT ONE. YOU WON'T REGRET IT. Brrr...

I'm definitely standing up against a big dog here. That author and I are on the same page, since my Shuichi is in a similar situation...but I'm at the back of the pack! I'll do my best, though; I'll always put my heart into every chapter. I hope all you continue to enjoy it, and it's always a blast to welcome new readers! Please enjoy the rest of my story!

I'm **_freezing! _**I feel as though 'Samurai X' just came to an end, for I'm shivering from a multitude of emotions! How spooky...

* * *

_Theme of 'Countdown': 'Tears Know' from Samurai X anime. 'Mermaid Princess' and 'Beyond' lyrics from Chobits are closely tied to this chapter as well. If you can picture 'Mermaid Princess' playing in the background, the full experience of this chapter will be brought out. PLEASE NOTE THAT I DON'T OWN ANY OF THOSE SONGS! They're just accompaniments for my work!_

**_Warning: 'Countdown' will contain strong language and violent situations. This chapter receives an 'M' rating.

* * *

_**

_Enjoy, and thank you for reading!_

_I'm only next to you_

_And I can't do anything, but_

_For you only I'll make a present of_

_All the happiness in my smiling face,_

_Carrying you anytime._

_-Lyrics of 'Tears Know'

* * *

_

A young star entered the world on the wings of life's music. He spent every waking moment in the melodies life had to offer, and savored every taste of life's radiance. The world was a painting to him, and he was determined to take in every drop of the painting's beauty. Simple sunsets, which were common occurrences to others, were memorable experiences to him. Rainstorms were miraculous sonatas, sonatas filled with the exuberance of twilight. The advent of the evening was only surpassed by the beauty of the stars; it was an advent that never failed to fill his heart with endless bliss. When the stars of the sky rose from slumber, his heart embraced each and every one.

The world was an enormous playground, and the star loved every inch of it. The smallest pleasures were unforgettable desires, and the greatest treasures were precious gemstones. The darkest of nights were breathtaking oceans of starlight; nighttime always filled him with an inexplicable curiosity. Everything about the world embraced him, and he never failed to greet each morning with open arms. He loved life, and loved everything life had to offer.

But now...he was separated from everything he held dear.

The songbird was no longer able to soar among clear blue skies. His arms were clipped; they were tied down by the hand of merciless, cold darkness. His body wasn't in a better condition, for most of it was covered in horrific injuries. The remnants of his clothes were tainted by the red mists of blood, and he couldn't bring an end to his shivering. His soul was a throbbing mass of fire; his body felt as if it had been drenched in poison, and oceans were tearing themselves from his burning eyes. His entire body was covered in endless, intolerable pain...and his spirit was broken.

The world he knew and loved so much wasn't near him. He was tied down in darkness, tied down in a world that kept him from the light. Time had no meaning, and neither did sleep. Every time his eyes closed, he wished for an end to the nightmare...but as soon as his eyes opened, he realized that his slumber had brought no relief. Everything was cold...too cold for human life. The color of his blood was undetermined, for he couldn't see his own hand in the thick darkness, but he knew his body was throbbing in it.

There weren't any familiar faces. There weren't even any voices.

There was only the smell of his own vomit...and the smell of his own blood.

_**He was trapped.**_

His captors were right outside, planning their next move. They had devoured his spirit several times, and they were ready to attack him again. Just thinking of their faces filled the songbird with excruciating fear; they filled him with a degree of fear that could never be measured. They had laughed at his beliefs in true, blissful love and stomped all over him; they had soiled his body and refused to feel the pangs of guilt. Monsters were incapable of feeling guilt, or even sorrow. They found his beliefs to be amusing, and used them to fuel their conquest.

Time crept right by the songbird, and left him in the darkness. He couldn't think; he could barely even breathe. His body, which had been defiled by ravenous predators, was too cold for even the smallest of functions..._everything was too cold..._

_**He had to escape. He had to do SOMETHING.

* * *

**_

_Pay attention to yesterday, pay attention to your eyes_

_Let's find anything_

_I don't know other things, I want you_

_All the great things are in the depths of the smile_

_No one touches it_

_Like a code, the true you...

* * *

_

The ones searching for the songbird were unable to hear him. Their hearts wanted to see him, but their eyes were unable to uncover the darkness he was trapped in. Days passed by his guardians, and not a single day brought a shred of relief. The passage of time failed to present any hope for them; it only made the world colder. The skies grew darker and darker throughout the seams of time...and the world slowly became an inhospitable region. They hunted for any sign of their songbird, but none could be found. They were conducting their search in the wrong world...for he was nowhere near them.

Their search came to an end after a thousand eternities. The songbird's friends found themselves back in their home, Tokyo...but their return wasn't a joyous, rapturous one. All of them were forced to retreat from their missions, and they did so with heavy hearts. All of them spent the trip to Tokyo in silence...for none of them were able to speak. The sorrow flowing through their hearts didn't permit the passage of speech, and their souls were throbbing against the drums of eternal pain. They felt as if they had failed their songbird...and his prince was feeling the **_full _**brunt of pain.

Tokyo was still a dark, unfriendly realm. The savage storm had died down, but the darkness was still abundant. Soft winds were brushing the streets, and the inhabitants were under the protection of raincoats...but their world was drenched in a darkness they knew little of. Only the songbird's friends knew of the pain Tokyo was in...for the land had lost its brightest star. No one knew of the mission failure, for none of the songbird's friends had the strength to release the news at the moment. All of them were inside of the prince's castle, still drenched in unbreakable silence.

They felt as if their search had ignited several seconds ago, but at the same time, they felt as if they had looked all over the world for their precious friend. All of them were in the living room, huddled up against each other for support. The home belonged to the songbird's prince, but all of them felt as if they had been born within the same home; their hearts were locked together as one, and the home offered comfort to all of their broken hearts. Hiroshi Nakano, Suguru Fujisaki and Reiji were huddled together under blankets; others were simply sitting on the floor, soaked in impenetrable regret. Even the ones that were normally active were drowning in pain.

The only sounds within the house were the sounds of mournful, steady footsteps. Footsteps were only etched in the ground when an individual wanted to fulfill a natural desire. Hunger, thirst and exhaustion were dealt with, but none of them gained any unique reactions...for none of the steadfast warriors had the strength to emit their unique personalities. All of them had been transformed into zombies because of the lost mission; none of them had the strength to speak, or even **_think._**

Hours drifted by them. The world drifted by all of them, but none of them were able to embrace it. In their eyes, the world no longer existed, for they had lost a vital piece of their hearts. The songbird's prince, Eiri, was drowning in the deepest sorrow...but for some reason, he was unable to release his grip on the light called _hope. _He had dreamt of his songbird several times, and so his heart knew that the young one was still among humanity's reach...but somehow he had managed to end up in another galaxy. Eiri, of course, was silent...but unlike the others, he was lost in thought. He was absorbed in the thoughts of the past...absorbed in the dreams that had visited him, absorbed in the memories he had molded with the songbird.

The prince's loyal companion, Tohma Seguchi, was once again at his side. The motherly member of Nittle Grasper never left Eiri's side in times of pain, and he was unwilling to end his current term anytime soon. He knew Eiri was lost in thought...he knew the prince was holding onto hope...but he couldn't understand _why. _The prince's thoughts were hidden from view; there was only one heart that knew them, and that was the prince himself.

Prior to the songbird's disappearance, all of them were no more than acquaintances to each other. Of course, a few of them had already been close to each other, but their bonds were at their true strength. At the start of the Christmas party, they had been nothing more than individuals at a party...but now they were members of the same family. The prince had failed to acknowledge the existence of family in the past, but now he was in the company of very dear friends...people he felt he had known his whole life. All of them were very supportive of him, even though they too were drowning in the pit of defeat. Even Hiroshi Nakano, who had appointed himself Eiri's enemy, wanted to comfort the heartbroken prince. The guitarist of Bad Luck was on the other side of the novelist, covered in a blanket. That alone filled the house with the essence of family.

_I have been searching for a while...for a feeling that softly glimmers..._

The air was heavy with sadness. Claude K. Winchester was unable to produce any type of relief, and he was usually the comforting chieftain. The officer was lost in a type of silence he had never felt before, and that alone brought his heart down. He felt as if he had lost a **_very _**dear family member, and he felt as if he had failed that precious loved one. His heart had been torn from his chest, and he was barely able to breathe. Time crept by all of them, ignored by all...

_**...then...**_

A ringtone pierced the uncongenial, cold air. All of them failed to identify it, for as soon as it broke into the air, it caused _all _of their hearts to _jump straight through the roof. _None of them had expected to receive any more calls, for their mission had come to an end. Suguru was the first one to respond to the abrupt, foreign explosion of noise-

"_Whose phone is that?"_

Reiji and K exchanged glances with each other, and then the benevolent officer shrugged. "It isn't _mine." _he said firmly, his eyes shining with deep silence. "I don't have 'Rage Beat' assigned to my phone."

The owner's identity crashed into all of them a second later...and so did the song's lyrics...

"_That unfulfillable emotion that never settles down somewhere--_

_Just decide to ignore it, then overtake it._

_Aim for the loophole in this shy, trembling society,_

_For the place we keep struggling towards. I want a new world..."_

_**The phone belonged to none other than Eiri Yuki.**_

The color drained from Tohma's face. The gentle Seguchi looked into Eiri's face, which was filled with painful tranquility. The novelist reacted to his phone's cries as if the phone were an object from another planet...

"Hello?"

"...Yuki...i-is...that you?"

_**His heart STOPPED. The color drained from his face, and strength evaporated from his body. The world began to spin...his head began to spin savagely...**_

Tohma's face took on a shade that wasn't normally applied to fear. The look on Eiri's face filled the others with immeasurable anxiety; all of them looked as if they were about to be pushed right over a cliff. **_The air became heavy and the world began to scream at the speed of light-_**

"Yuki, _who is it?"_

Ryuichi Sakuma shoved the speaker in the chest. **_"Shut it, Yuuji!"_**

_**Cold, deep fear filled Eiri's chest. It transformed his bloodstream into a river of hot ice...and filled his entire soul with indescribable emotion...**_

"Yuki...please..._please _don't go...don't hang up..."

Nauseu struck the novelist like a **_thunderbolt._**

Tohma swiftly took his hand and **_squeezed _**it.

Hiro, Suguru and Ayaka exchanged fearful glances with their companions. Their minds were hanging by a mere thread; they were about to be driven **_insane _**by the current situation. K gave them an explanation that caused the fear to shoot beyond the roof. His voice was calm, but he was no different from an urgent, vigilant officer on the verge of locating a murderer.

"It's Shindou."

Fear struck Reiji and pulled her to her knees. Ayaka clasped a hand to her mouth, but her fall was intercepted by the loyal Sakuma. All of their heads became lighter than baby feathers...

...the world increased its speed, and became intolerably **_loud..._**

"Please don't go, Yuki..."

Tohma increased his grip on Eiri's hand. The novelist was **_cold...very cold..._**

The songbird's voice was shattered by pain. It had once been a song of bright, lively jubilance...but now it was a broken song of cold sadness. The sadness of Shuichi Shindou's voice broke the novelist's heart, for he had never encountered such pure emotion before...

Sobs pierced Eiri's heart, and they brought _him _to his knees. Shuichi was frightened beyond comprehension; his cries made that painfully evident-

_**His head wouldn't stop spinning...and nausea wouldn't leave him alone...**_

_**...his fingers became cold...the air froze his lungs...**_

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry for everything...I-I'm scared...please help me..."

"Speakerphone." K said urgently, resuming his place as the vigilant commander. "Put him on speakerphone. _Now."_

Somehow the novelist found the strength to follow his friend's demand. The operation of his cell phone was no different from ancient languages at the moment, but since he had memorized the phone's functions, he was able to follow the demand in an instant. The songbird's sobs pierced **_all _**of their hearts a moment later, and filled several eyes with tears. Hiroshi clasped both of his hands to his mouth, and was pulled into the warm shield of his brother-

"Yuki..."

Oceans filled Tohma's eyes, and his soul cried out in pain. Eiri was struggling to regain the power of speech, for the one he loved was lost in another world...**_and he was in danger._**

Seconds were no different from _years. _Everything was cold...so cold...

"Shuichi, it's me. I'm here."

His own voice was strange to him. The world wouldn't stop spinning...and it was covering his body in _ice..._

"I'm here. It's all right. I'm not going anywhere. Just...just tell me-"

"I'm scared...she's coming...please help me..."

_He was scared._

_**Someone was after him.**_

"_Shuichi, listen to me. Everything's going to be all right. **Just tell me where you are and I'll-"**_

The loud, sorrowful cry of a wounded animal pierced the novelist's heart and _snapped it in half._

_Tohma increased his grip._

"_**Let me go! Please! Please let me go! I just want to go home! PLEASE!"**_

Hiro closed his eyes and balled his hands into a fist. His brother sensed that he was seriously close to losing his frame of mind, so he kept himself at the guitarist's side. Reiji took Ayaka's hand, even though she was still suffering from overwhelming nausea-

"_**Please, just let me go! I want to go home! Noooooo!"**_

Eiri's heart began to jump around in its imprisonment. **_It was a cold, black lump of throbbing ice-_**

"_**Shuichi! Shuichi!"**_

_Someone was tormenting the songbird...and they were having a lot of fun._

A voice answered the novelist's cries, but it wasn't the voice of the songbird. The vocalist's cries drifted into the background, but they were **_still _**loud and clear...

"He's a cute little thing. Really. So tender and pure."

Humans were rarely able to reach the true extent of emotions. Different situations pushed humans to their edge, and caused many of them to bloom into the one they were meant to be. Something snapped within Eiri Yuki, and brought out his heart's true strength. His eyes became fiery, venomous daggers...daggers that were radiant with the scent of death...

"_**Who in the hell are you? And what are you doing to Shuichi?"**_

K brought himself closer to the wrathful novelist. His dearest companion, Ark, was at his side, his eyes radiant with gentle urgency. The voice on the other end was the epitome of evil; it was sweet, yet dark and **_twisted _**with violent intention...

"My friends and I are just having a little fun, that's all. He's adorable, even though he's a bit _loud _at times. The sweet little thing's quite yummy."

"_**You fucking bastard!"**_

Eiri's tone caused **_all _**of their hearts to **_stop._**

"**_If you lay another finger on him I'll tear your fucking heart out and CRUSH IT! I SWEAR!"_**

"So you intend to reclaim him, then? It's too bad. I've ruined the poor little thing. He's mine now, and will never be seen by another soul."

"_**Please don't! Let me go! Noooo!"**_

"His skin is _quite _tender. So soft and delicate...just like buttermilk. He's the most delicious prey I've had...and I don't intend to give him back."

Right then and there...Eiri Yuki **_snapped._**

"_**I'll hunt you down and TEAR YOU APART! You can stake your life on that, you disgusting insect! I'LL KILL YOU!"**_

"Puppies are at their cutest when they're scared. I love them when they whimper, don't you?"

_**A flash of red hatred shot through Eiri's eyes. **_

"**_You filthy little bitch!"_**

"You've got until midnight. It won't be too hard to find us. I'm going to throw a little party for my new toy, and it's going to be BIG. After midnight, you'll still be able to see him...but he won't be in one piece."

"_**YUKI!"**_

Their house, which had been a silent abyss of death for so long, became a chaotic hotbed of activity.

Several things happened at once.

_The call came to an end._

_Eiri Yuki fell to his knees, overwhelmed by fervent dizziness. Human speech became foreign to him...the world tore itself from him, and filled him with intolerable sickness..._

_Tohma Seguchi brought him into a gentle, urgent embrace...and delivered soft, comforting words..._

_Claude K. Winchester released several orders and Tatsuha Uesugi came to Tohma's assistance..._

_Ark snatched up the novelist's phone and spoke to his companion..._

Nothing was real anymore...

_Relying on a voice from afar...I keep on walking..._

"_**Eiri! Come on, bro! BREATHE! Breathe, dammit!"**_

"_Eiri-sama, PLEASE come back to us! Wake up!"_

He couldn't hear anything...other than the songbird's frightened cries...his pleas for help...

Someone was tormenting the pure heart, and he just wanted...to go home...

* * *

_If the shaking feelings are calmed_

_All the unstable things are in both of us_

_So realize it_

_The undeniable truth, want it tomorrow..._

_Find it soon...

* * *

_

"_**Damn it, Eiri! BREATHE!"**_

"_**Stay at his side! Body heat will shake him! Just hold onto him!"**_

Another pair of arms wrapped themselves around him. They belonged to the guitarist of Bad Luck, who had evidently eliminated his vow for revenge. He was silent, but his eyes were vibrant paintings of emotion, and they were louder than any word within any vocabulary. They were filled with the urgency of a desperate father, and with the devotion of a concerned friend. His voice drifted into his shivering ears...and he was able to identify every one of the guitarist's words...

"Don't worry. Everything's gonna be all right. We're gonna find him. I know we will. Just hold tight, Yuki. He's gonna be fine. Remember, this _is _Shuichi Shindou we're dealing with. He's gonna pull through. I know him. We've been friends since the dawn of time."

Hiro's wordsfulfilled their intentions.

The novelist inhaled deeply, then exhaled. Exhaling caused his head to become even lighter, but at least he had regained the basic abilities of human life. The world wouldn't stop spinning, though...**_it just kept on going, faster and faster...and his heart was pounding at the speed of sound..._**

"We've identified the area code of the number. It's within the borders of New York."

K's words caused several of them to gasp. Tohma cried out in shock, his gentle eyes radiant with horror.

"_**New York? It's no wonder we couldn't unable to find Shindou!"**_

"**_Someone dragged him to the States!" _**Ryuichi cried out, his voice radiant with wrath. _"It must have happened BEFORE Ark contacted the airlines!"_

For the first time in his life, Tatsuha Uesugi grabbed Eiri's hand and squeezed it. He had never been close to his brother before, and thought he would never have any true connection with him...but the chaos within the novelist's house brought _both _of them together. Tatsuha kept a firm grip on his brother, his eyes radiant with newborn strength...and was answered by a strong squeeze from his sibling.

"Breathe. Breathe, Eiri. I'm right here with you."

"Were you able to pinpoint the location of the call?" Reiji asked K urgently, holding the sobbing Ayaka in a motherly embrace. The former manager of Bad Luck was violently shivering from fear, but she was determined to support her new friend.

"I'm afraid the call came from a payphone."

K _felt _all of their hearts drops.

"A **_payphone!" _**Hiro asked, utterly horrified by K's response. **_"How in the hell are we supposed to go off of a payphone's number!"_**

"Come on, bro. Stay with me. I'm right here."

Tatsuha's gentle words filled Eiri's ears, but they weren't able to eradicate the images flowing through his mind...

_...the world was so cold..._

Ryuichi's voice penetrated the chaotic atmosphere next.

"_**At least we've got SOMETHING to go from! We'll just have to take it from here!"**_

"_K! Are you ABSOLUTELY sure the area code is from New York boundaries!"_

K passed Yuuji Nakano a look of disgust. The officer was offended by the question.

"Absolutely sure. There's no way around it."

Tatsuha tore his eyes away from his silent brother and placed them onto K. His voice was surprisingly ferocious, for it was filled with newborn...

...devotion.

"_**K! What time is it in New York?"**_

"It's ten thirty. We don't have very much time."

"**_Then here's the game plan. I'll book ten tickets for a New York flight! You notify your pals in the New York Police Department!"_**

"I'm on it. Ark, notify the media and tell them that we've located Shindou."

Tatsuha whipped out his cell phone, dialed a number at the speed of light, then launched into a rapid wildfire of fury. His voice, along with the voices of others, pierced the cold air-

"_**I'd like to know when the next flight to New York is taking place! And make it quick-I've got an emergency on my hands!"**_

"Claude K. Winchester here. I've got a code red case on my hands. A life is hanging in the balance."

"What if the next flights can't get us there in time?"

Reiji's gentle, motherly voice answered her.

"Stray away from the 'what ifs', Ayaka-chan. Stay positive."

"**_You guys! I've got a flight that takes place twenty minutes from now, and another is within forty-five minutes!"_**

"_**Tatsuha! How many can fit on the earlier flight?"**_

"_**Six!"**_

Ryuichi Sakuma's fierce eyes met the courageous eyes of Tatsuha Uesugi. _"Great! The rest of us can fit on the other flight, right?"_

"_**Right! The other four are gonna have to sit on the sidelines for a moment! Eiri and I are taking the first flight, without a doubt!"**_

"Ark speaking. We've located Shuichi Shindou. I repeat, we've located Shuichi Shindou, the vocalist of Bad Luck. He's being held against his will in New York. Yes, that's right."

Eiri's eyes scanned the faces of his companions. All of their voices were songs of bravery, dedication and anxiety; it was as if they were in his position. He had never acknowledged their existence before, and they had never given him the time of day...but now...all of them...

...were his **_family._**

"_**I'll contact the New York airlines! I'll make sure Shindou isn't smuggled out again!"**_

"Thanks Suguru." K said warmly. "I'd appreciate it."

Tatsuha's eyes lost their ferocity, and became gentle oceans of love. They filled the eyes of his fearful brother, and comforted him with the warmth of a parent. They had never shared such a strong connection before, but they felt as if they had known each other well since birth.

"Hey bro. What are you hiding in the garage?"

Eiri caught on instantly.

"A Mercedes and a Bentley."

"Perfect." K announced firmly, his eyes bright with the light of adrenaline. "Both cars will suit both groups. We've got ourselves a plan."

* * *

I've got to cut this short; I just ran out of time! I can hear you guys now. 'Short, she says. Hah! This was LONG!'

I know this was the longest entry, but it was supposed to be even longer! Music can really drive me on, and this time I got carried away!

I can't finish the suspense right now...waaaahhh! I'll update soon, I promise! I hope I did a really good job...PLEASE TELL ME HOW I DID! I worked so hard on this entry!

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED 'COUNTDOWN'! BYE FOR NOW! TAKE CARE!


	12. Velocity

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope everyone's enjoying a day of sweet, pure love! Welcome back to another round of angst, adrenaline and passion done by yours truly! I just read all of the latest reviews, and to tell you the truth, I'M PRETTY PSYCHED ABOUT THE REST OF 'KAKUMEI'! All of you mean so much to me, because you're a part of this wuundyful masterpiece! Thank you all so much for reading my first Gravitation story!

Here we go with 'Velocity'! Please enjoy!

* * *

_Theme of 'Velocity': Madonna's 'Isaac', 'I Love New York' and 'Hung Up'

* * *

_

A house that had been filled with the silent dirge of defeat was now a hotbed of fiery activity. The bodies of its inhabitants were filled with the spirit of battle, and they were ready to unleash their newborn spirits upon their enemies. The location of their precious songbird, which was lost in the tide of darkness for perpetuity, was finally right in front of them, and they were ready to lay their lives on the line for him. All of them had spent a thousand years wandering throughout their own thoughts; all of them had spent many years wandering throughout their own worlds...but now...all of them were tied together by the same rope, the same bond of emotion.

All of their eyes were bright, vibrant flames of power. The flames were cut from the hands of valiance, and they were radiant with unbridled potency. Each pair had their own unique flames, but each pair was filled with impenetrable fire. All of them looked as if they had been torn from the same cloth, for their eyes held a light that surpassed the chains of conception. Their facial expressions were tinged by their own personalities, but those were also a part of their newborn union. They had spent a hundred lifetimes in the ocean of sorrow, and they were ready to fall back into a world of pristine light. Their bright star had been stolen from them; it was time to take him back.

Claude K. Winchester, of course, was at the head of the action. He was a priceless friend, and an immaculate leader. The elements of his family life made him into a strong companion, and the aspects of his career brought out his leadership abilities. His eyes were always filled with the benevolence of a chieftain, and his voice never failed to ring with the strength of an eagle cry. He had a calm, nonchalant exterior, but his friends knew the truth...and they knew it well. The manager of Bad Luck was the personification of 'bravery'; he was ready and willing to sacrifice his life for his vocalist, and all of his friends knew it.

All eyes were on him, filled with the light of fire. Adrenaline was streaming through their blood, but somehow they were able to refrain from soaring out of the house. Eiri Yuki, the songbird's prince, possessed an insatiable desire to cut off the dragon's head, but the presence of new friends kept his fire at a silent level. K's voice rang throughout the house and filled all of their hearts, radiant with the courage of a lion's soul.

"All right. Here's the game plan. Eiri, you're out on the first flight to New York. Your brother has volunteered to accompany you, but you need four more companions. Accept only the best; we're about to head straight into heavy battle. Trust me on this. I've been on the force for a **_very _**long time, so I'm a **_very _**close friend of danger. Our evil dragon wasn't waving a bluff card when she threatened to hold a huge party."

"I'll join him." Hiroshi Nakano announced bravely, his eyes shining with the aura of a battlefield. Evidently he had pulled off his hatred against the novelist, and was ready to befriend him. His love for the songbird was still at a passionate level, but Eiri's conversation with the dragon had proved something; Prince Charming **_really _**loved Shuichi Shindou. There wasn't a scrap of doubt around that fact.

The novelist smiled at the valiant guitarist, and remembered how he had comforted him right after the fateful call. He had never shared a connection with Hiroshi; in the past, his interaction with the dedicated musician was extremely low. Eiri had never really communicated with the members of Bad Luck before, but now he felt as if they were a part of his family.

Hiro passed a small smile in return, and then placed all of his attention back on the officer. The gallant Sakuma spoke next, his voice bearing the strength of a lion's roar. He had the potential to be a strong prince himself, for he was serious about the relationships he carried.

"I'm with you guys. All of this has made me realize something; Shuichi means a lot to me. He's my friend, and has been my friend for the longest time. There's no way in hell I'm sitting on the sidelines."

A thunderbolt pierced Eiri's heart, and it caused his eyes to fall right onto the gentle Seguchi. His sudden movement made the softhearted Tohma feel like a student trapped under the paw of an excited teacher.

"Tohma."

"Yes?" Tohma asked softly, his heart pounding against a steel cage. He had never been involved in a high level of adrenaline before, and so he felt like a soldier running off to his last battle. The eyes of his precious Eiri were filled with breathtaking vigilance, and they caused the adrenaline to rise even higher.

"You're with me."

There was no room to argue. Actually, there was no _need _to argue. Tohma had always been at Eiri's side, and now wasn't the time to back down. Courage filled the Seguchi's eyes and soared from his voice.

"Yes sir!"

"I'll join them, K." Ark said fearlessly, his own eyes shining with a blend of anticipation, excitement and fear. "You'll be in charge of the remaining combatants, friend."

Starlight fell through K's eyes, and a smile bloomed on his face. He was no different from a knight that had just found a legendary blade; alert, selfless and intrepid. His voice could have easily been attached to an excited spectator, for it was filled with a high amount of pride and adrenaline...even though it was as calm as a Spring morning.

"**_Perfect. _**We've got the front lines down."

Warm wishes and encouragement usually followed the ultimate battle. The current situation of Eiri's household held no difference to a war movie. The ones that had to sit on the sidelines immediately threw out hopeful inspiration, their voices filled with jubilant faith. The encouragement that moved the front line to tears was the encouragement from Ayaka, even though all sources of inspiration were beautiful.

"All of you..._please _be careful. I want all of us to come out of this...**_together. _**Please take care of one another. I want things to be the way they were _meant _to be."

Her last statement brought a gasp out of Tohma, for his wife had delivered a similar statement in the past. The other front line soldiers nodded in her direction, their eyes shimmering with appreciation and dedication. Eiri, who was no longer in the spirit of 'Eiri Yuki', gave her a look that allayed her fears. He had the soul of a soldier; a soldier that was ready to regain his beloved treasure. He turned to his soldiers and spoke, his voice radiant with a blend of newborn love, impenetrable bravery and eagerness.

"I know I've never done this before, but I'd like to thank all of you for supporting me. I hope all of you will be able to keep up with me, for I'm not making any pit stops."

Once again, Eiri's voice tone eliminated room for any argument. A soldier didn't argue with a general; it wouldn't have been a smart move. His tone told all of them that he was ready for business, and was ready for anything it held. None of them had the desire to back down, though; they were ready to back him _and_ Shuichi Shindou.

"Tohma, you're in the front. The rest of you are in the _back."_

Tatsuha Uesugi saluted him, bearing a carefree smile about his roguish features. His eyes twinkled with the sonata of moonlight as he spoke.

"Got you loud and clear, bro."

Before anyone could dart out of the door, K got a hold of the dauntless novelist. His voice was the voice of an excited coach...but it was also the voice of a fearful, anxious father. His eyes were gentle, warm gemstones of endless devotion.

"Eiri!"

The novelist's eyes fell onto the officer, and they were blazes of fierce impatience. The emotions within the officer's eyes didn't fade, though; they were unbreakable beacons of guidance.

"I'll come into contact with you as soon as _my_ group lands. Make sure you answer me. Got it?"

The look within K's eyes sent a thunderbolt of shock through Eiri's body. Claude was no longer just a mere manager; he was a friend...a true family member. He had never cared too much about Eiri in the past, but now he was looking into the novelist's eyes...and his own eyes were filled with the fidelity of a family member. Somewhere along the line, K had become attached to the novelist...and had no desire to lose him.

A smile bloomed in Eiri's heart, but the prince kept up his solid facial expression. He formed a gun with two fingers and pointed them at the officer; that was a sign friends shared amongst themselves during conversations. In this case, it was the signature to a deal...a deal that would lead to true friendship.

"Got it. I'll talk to you soon."

_The rush was on.

* * *

_

Eiri Uesugi dashed out of the house at a breathtaking speed, his eyes filled with passionate wildfire. The fire within his newborn soul carried him at a speed that wasn't normally attached to human life, for his speed was astounding. It could have shamed all cheetahs, for it was a speed that came from the depths of immeasurable emotion. His soldiers, who had become close friends in a short amount of time, were right behind him; their movements met his perfectly. It was as if all of them had rehearsed the finale, for their executed movements were flawless. His soldiers were basking in his wildfire; their eyes were filled with deadly valor, and their bodies were heaving with fatal adrenaline. All of them were on the move, and nothing could stop them. Even Tohma, who was normally a gentle soul, was filled with the light of battle; seeing the light of fire within _his _eyes was like watching a miracle bloom over a horizon.

K's group was no different. The sideline soldiers met the speed of the frontline ones, and they were going to keep up that pace until the flight. The officer and his companions were ready to kick some serious ass; their eyes made that perfectly clear. Both groups would have been perfect for synchronized swimming, for they moved with each other in perfect harmony...and they all shared the same fire.

In mere seconds, all of them were in the garage of Eiri's home. In mere seconds, both groups were in their chosen vehicles. The prince's team was in the Mercedes, which had once been the only love of his life, and the Bentley was the transportation for K's team. Suguru, Tohma and Hiro kept their eyes on their leaders; K and Eiri ignited the operation of the vehicles simultaneously, exchanged glances and revved up their engines.

_**Those movements alone told their teammates that they were in for the night of their lives.**_

K whipped out his special pair of black glasses, and then he placed them on his face. The sound of the Mercedes engine filled his ears, and strengthened the heavy flow of excitement. Reiji took Ayaka's hand, Tatsuha took Hiro's...and all of them silently vowed to look after one another in the midst of turbulent chaos. One sentence left the officer's mouth in a fervent whisper, and it was a sentence that burned itself into the hearts of his teammates.

"It's time to get this show on the road."

As if on cue, the Mercedes made its turbulent descent out of the garage and began its fiery ascent to the airport. The power of the Mercedes was breathtaking, but it had never been brought to the surface in the past. **_Eiri Uesugi was determined to bring out the full potential of his vehicle, regardless of the consequences._**

The vehicle sped down the streets at an incomprehensible velocity. The Mercedes was truly a phenomenon, and it had finally the chance to show off its incredible strength. The Bentley pulled out after it in hot pursuit, determined to hold a strong pace with the leader. The driver of the Bentley unsheathed his chosen mode of communication and dialed a number, which horrified two of his teammates (Reiji and Yuuji Nakano)...but he had the ability to multi-task.

"_**K here! I've got a code '3-2-6' on my hands! Make way for vehicles '21-02' and 'C-290'! I repeat, clear all roads for '21-02' and 'C-290'! There's a '3-2-6' in effect and we need all of the air we can get!"

* * *

**_

_I know I've been far from you in the past..._

_...but when I see you again..._

_...I'm not going to let you go._

_I'm going to hold you...caress you..._

_..and love you until the end of your days._

_I love you, Shuichi Shindou._

_My heart and soul breath for you, and only you._

_I'm going to make sure you learn the truth...at **any **cost._

_I love you...my little Songbird...

* * *

_

In the land of New York, the clock hands struck a time that instilled fear into all of their hearts.

_**It was forty-five minutes after ten.

* * *

**_

Both teams rushed into the Tokyo Airport, fueled by incomprehensible passion. Their eyes were still radiant with immortal power, their hearts were still pounding upon the drums of tension...and their spirits were still screaming with ardent adrenaline. The leader of the alternative team, Claude K. Winchester, immediately contacted the airport's security as soon as they entered the establishment. Having someone with unbridled authority was a plus in dark situations; all of them learned that a long while ago.

Eiri Uesugi barreled his way through thick crowds, followed by his loyal friends. The prince was truly a sovereign upon a young steed; he had the courage, determination and vigilance of an intrepid warrior. Ignoring the complaints of many, he dashed throughout the heavy crowds with his companions...and slammed his hands upon the front desk. The look on the novelist's face frightened the employees, but they were ready to perform the duties that came with their job. A young female approached the novelist, holding an unstable level of serenity.

"Excuse me. How may I help you, sir?"

Eiri opened his mouth, ready to unleash a torrent of furious urgency...but was instantly cut off by his brother.

"Yeah, you can help us. Remember me? I'm the one that booked the flights to New York. Tatsuha Uesugi?"

_**The words she delivered sent Eiri to his knees.**_

"I'm sorry sir, but the flight that was supposed to occur in several minutes...has been delayed."

* * *

Once again I'm out of time! How aggravating! Yeesh! This **_has _**to be the shortest chapter yet! I hope this will tide everyone over until the next addition! Please enjoy the rest of my story! Thank you all so much for reading! Happy Valentine's Day!

Oh, by the way...the line 'I'm going to make sure you learn the truth...at any cost' is a hint towards the future. I'll give you an even better hint; the words 'at any cost' hold great meaning. Stay tuned for the action-packed battle at New York! Happy trails, and happy reading my friends!


	13. Descent

Welcome to 'Descent'! I hope everyone had the greatest Valentine's Day! Please enjoy the rest of my story!

Before we begin, I'd like to give a shout-out to the Lady Laurannia, the author of 'Hatred'. She created a fic that emits the cold hatred of ignorant people, and I applaud her for doing so. I can't tell you how much I hate the coldhearted, cruel people of America. People against homosexuality really **_make me sick. _**Love doesn't know any boundaries because **_it doesn't have any! _**Get with the program, people! Yeesh!

Just so all you know, the world of 'Kakumei' supports homosexuality _and _heterosexuality. It embraces the spirit of true, pure love and bears no ill will against it. Since our world **_ticks _**me off so much, I'd like to create the world we'll **_never_** see. I hope this doesn't bother any of my readers, but homophobic people REALLY get under my skin. The release of a certain movie has sparked all kinds of mess in my neck of the woods, and it makes me **_SICK!_** AAARRGGHHH!

May 'Gravitation' and other shounen-ai series live on FOREVER!

* * *

_Theme of 'Descent': 'A New Hope (Industrial Version)' by Masashi Hamauzu

* * *

_

_**Delayed.**_

The word struck _all of them _in the form of a cold, black boulder.

_**Delayed.**_

The word was a cruel, vicious monster. It was a monster that unleashed tumultuous wrath upon, and it bore no regret against its actions. It caused hearts to drop, and it covered the spirits of the soldiers in cold, hard ice. The eyes of the knights quickly turned into solid pools, pools that held the true soul of fear. The ferocity of true fear swept itself into their bodies, and it was a horrific force of monstrous potency.

The ability to stand drained out of Eiri Yuki as soon as that word hit him. Once again he had lost the basic abilities of human life; he was unable to speak, think, move or even _breathe. _His heart was wildly screaming against his chest, dying for a chance to breathe, but no opportunity was available. He had never felt such a high amount of fear before, and that fact alone was scaring him. The ground beneath his feet was mercilessly cold, the stream of time was a vindictive torrent...

Warm, comforting hands placed themselves on his shoulders, and a pair of arms lifted him from the ground. The gentle arms belonged to his brother Tatsuha, who was a shining beacon of guidance. For the very first time, the Uesugi was emitting his heart's true potential; he was a fiery bolt of vigilance, filled with the strength of a black panther. Many relationships were finally rising to the surface because of the chaos, and his relationship with Eiri was one of them. He truly felt as if the novelist was his brother, and was ready to lay his life on the line for him.

After he gave his assistance to the silent prince, he spoke to the female employee once again, his voice filled with the fury of the darkest rainstorm. Listening to him was like listening to thunderous liberty bells, for his voice was phenomenally radiant with courage.

"Tell me something. How long is the delay going to be?"

Eiri looked into his brother's face fearfully, bearing the desire to fall back onto his knees. He could barely keep himself on his feet, even though his brother was supporting him. Standing was no different from climbing Mt.Everest at the moment.

"The flight has been delayed by ten minutes, sir. You won't have to wait very long."

Hiroshi Nakano joined Tatsuha at the front, his own voice filled with the essence of tension. His eyes, which were normally filled with insatiable curiosity, were now filled with a blend of agony and fear.

"What about the other flight? Is _that _one still on schedule?"

He received a smile in return, even though the owner of the smile felt like a bug trapped under a glass jar. "Yes it is, sir." she said mechanically, trembling from fear's cold elegy. Her current clients weren't too happy with their current situation; they looked as if their lives were in danger, and they wanted to solve their problems **_immediately._**

"You don't have to worry about anything, sir. Both of your flights will arrive. Please have a seat in the meantime."

_**Ten minutes.**_

Eiri released a heavy sigh, which was composed of frustration. It wouldn't have been any different if she had said 'ten years', for time was standing as a malicious enemy. The novelist bore no desire to befriend the concept of time, since it was the epitome of evil. Tatsuha looked into his brother's face worriedly, feeling a cold hand grasp his soul. He knew his brother was on the brink of insanity, for he was facing a situation that was about to change his life. Eiri had failed to acknowledge the existence of love for many years...but now...everything was different. He was on his way to reclaim his one true love...but there was so much hanging in the balance...

The compassionate Uesugi picked up their tickets, and then took his brother by the arm. His eyes bore the love of a sympathetic father, and they drilled their emotions into Eiri's new heart. "Come on, bro." he said softly, feeling his own body tremble from the heavy tension. The air was excruciatingly thick; it was completely unsuitable for human life.

"It looks like we're _all _on the sidelines for a moment."

Covered in silence, the band of knights sat in the waiting area. The voices of their fellow humans faded into nothingness, and so did the other elements of outside life. All of them fell into their own world, a world filled with devastating sensations and gruesome pain. Several of them kept their eyes on the songbird's prince, for he looked as if he were about to fall apart. Their chests were heavy, their hearts were on fire...they were an apprehensive family waiting for someone to emerge from intensive care.

Tatsuha held onto his brother's hand with a gentle yet firm amount of strength. Reiji held onto the other with an equal amount of strength, and both of them stood as the prince's guardians. For an eternity, all of them wandered throughout the vicious stream of time...which took them far, far away from the outside world. Voices pricked their ears, but their words went by unidentified...for the knights had no desire to pick up the melodies of a foreign world...

"Have you heard? They've found Shuichi Shindou!"

"Are you **_serious? _**The poor kid's still alive?"

"Yeah! It's all over the news! The other members of Bad Luck are _right over there!"_

"I saw their manager rush in a few minutes ago. There he is, sitting over there."

"Shuichi Shindou's in **_New York! _**Some psycho must've kidnapped him and dragged him to America! Some luck, eh?"

"Eiri Yuki's going after him in _hot pursuit. _You should've seen the way he _barreled _through here! It was **_crazy!"_**

The lights of the flight board...the voices of the employees...the voices of other travelers...

All of those elements were rushing right by them, lost within a world the knights were unable to acknowledge. They had been pieces of the puzzle, a puzzle that held the mysteries of humanity...but now, all of them were on their way to discovering the true spirit of life. None of them were breathing among a world filled with leniency; they were drenched in the cold tides of tension, and they knew their hearts were about to be exposed. They were on their first true journey, a journey that was about to reach completion. The end of their journey, unfortunately...

...wasn't clear.

Tatsuha squeezed his brother's hand, but received no response. The novelist was cold, and shivering from an enigmatic, vague elegy. Images were flowing through his heart again, and they were frightening him. He was no different from a child facing a monster, for his heart was trapped in an ocean of immoderate, inexplicable fear. His eyes were closed, but their emotions were painfully clear.

"This is driving me _crazy! _How much longer do we have? I can't _stand _seeing Eiri like this!"

Claude K. Winchester looked at his cell phone casually, acting as if he were in the middle of a picnic. However, his exterior betrayed his true emotions. He was trapped within their realm of fear; he could feel every tidal wave, every zephyr. "You've got five minutes." he reported calmly, his eyes twinkling with mysterious starlight. Once again, he had the look of a vigilant cheetah about his eyes.

Reiji's eyes swelled with tears. Eiri's facial expression was horrifyingly difficult to look at; he was in danger of losing a precious loved one, and was dangerously close to his breaking point. She gave his hand a squeeze and felt her chest burn from a tremendous load of tears, her eyes shimmering with silver moonlight. The novelist removed his right hand from Tatsuha's protection, which alarmed the young priest...but the movements that ensued caused the priest's heart to **_drop._**

His brother removed his cell phone from his pocket, stared at it sadly, and then opened it. All eyes fell on him as he gazed upon his cell phone's monitor, bearing the eyes of a saddened animal. He was a lion that had been torn from his mate, and he missed his mate **_badly. _**Watching a human fall into the deep, eloquent emotions of an animal broke all of their hearts; Reiji was forced to release her tears, Hiroshi lowered his head in sadness, and the others felt their hearts fall further into their new world of pain. The expiration of five seconds caused all of their hearts to _shatter._

"_Yuki! It's Shuichi! Listen! I won't be able to come home until nine! I'm really sorry, but K wants us to hang out at some weird bar. It looks kinda scary...but we'll have a lot of fun! We always do! I'll see you later! I love you!"_

_**That was the straw that broke all of their backs.**_

A massive lump developed in the novelist's throat, and it caused his entire body to become lighter than air. The world around him began to spin...as tears filled his eyes...

"He said that to me...all of the time..."

Tatsuha took his hand once again, his eyes filled with sapphire blue oceans of sorrow. Clear starlight continued to fall from Reiji's eyes, and turbulent waves caused her body to tremble. All of their eyes filled with lucent oceans...as Eiri's hoarse, frail voice pierced their souls.

"He said that...so much. He must've said it...at least a million times..."

Tatsuha took his hand and placed it on Eiri's arm. He spoke to his brother gently, and realized that his own voice was just as fragile as Eiri's.

"Bro, come on. Don't do this. Don't break down on me. We're gonna find him."

His desire to end Eiri's tears crumbled as soon as the novelist looked straight into his eyes. The emotions within the prince's eyes were so deep, so pristine and beautiful...that they brought the priest to _tears. _They were immaculate, pure and immeasurably ethereal...true emotions that were from the depth of true love. They were so deep...they were almost frightening.

"We're going to find him. And then you'll be able to bring him home. Back here, to Tokyo!"

Tatsuha's delicate emotions caused Reiji to burst into tears. Ayaka was right behind her, and so was another knight. **_The third knight went by the name of Claude K. Winchester._**

"None of this would have happened if I hadn't been so...this is all **_my _**fault..."

Oceans coursed out of Tatsuha's trembling heart, and they fell onto his body as shards of diamonds. His voice was painfully hoarse, and filled with the true depth of love...

"Hey. None of that matters now. That's all over and done with. What matters is _now. _You can't cry over yesterday."

"But...he said those words...so many times...and...I-I never said them **_once..."_**

The priest and the novelist fell into an embrace, drowning in the mist of sorrowful tears. The others released their own oceans; even the knights that were normally strong were unable to refrain from sobbing. Eiri's words echoed throughout their hearts vibrantly, and instilled a message into their souls. It was a message none of them would ever forget...a message _none _of them wanted to forget.

_Take care of the ones you love, because once they're gone...you can never get them back._

Sorrowful, dark oceans drenched all of them for an eternity, then K removed the mist of oceans from his eyes. The normally calm, cool officer was now frightened; his facial expression made that evident. He had never felt the cold sting of fear before, for he had been a part of **_many _**death-defying missions in the past. He was in the full presence of fear now, and would never forget its cold whispers.

His cell phone pierced the cold air with its ringtone, but the melody came to an end after several seconds. The officer opened his phone and began to speak, his voice filled with anticipation. His companions, including Eiri Yuki, kept their eyes on him in silence...and glued themselves to every word that made an ascent from his mouth.

"Yeah. Talk to me. You have? What's the situation?"

Yuuji and Ryuichi exchanged glances with each other. It was the New York Police Department, no doubt.

"Uh huh...yeah...I've got you."

K's face became grim. He was no different from a moviegoer predicting the inevitable outcome of a horror movie; his eyes were radiant with frustration, and hot sweat was streaming down his forehead. His voice was strained, pulled back by the strings of devastation.

"Yeah. Have you tried to calm things down?"

Five seconds of silence elapsed at a horrendous speed, then K released a heavy sigh of pain. He placed a hand on his forehead and closed his eyes, alarming not only his dearest friend, but everyone else around him.

"Listen. **_I want all units to hold down the fort as long as possible._** We can't afford to lose him. Uh huh. That's right. Make sure we've got medical units on standby. Continue to prevent innocent casualties, but take out our enemies with every trick in the book. I repeat; continue to prevent innocent casualties, but take down the enemy with everything you've got. Have you received a visual on the hostage?"

The color drained from Eiri's face. A moment of silence passed between all of them, then K released another heavy sigh. **_Something was horribly wrong._**

"Yeah. Do _whatever _you can to prevent that from happening. Make sure the hostage stays with us. Yes, that's right. And send out three helicopter units. Have them meet us at the New York airport. I would appreciate it. Keep me informed."

The call ended, and questions began. Suguru Fujisaki, who saw Shuichi Shindou as a little pest in the past, brought up the first question.

"All right. What happened?"

Ayaka's question followed his. "What's going on?"

"Spill it, pal." Ryuichi Sakuma said fiercely, his eyes blazing with power. "What's going down?"

For the first time in his life...Claude K. Winchester was overwhelmed with tears.

He wrestled with himself for a moment. He made an attempt to recover the power of speech, but his heated chest prevented him from doing so. Tears tore themselves out of the officer's eyes, and his chest began to heave with silent sobs. Ark placed a comforting hand on his arm, but he was unable to regain the ability to speak until he saw Eiri's facial expression. The novelist, who had been emotionless for so many years, had the look of a heartbroken puppy...and it was a look that broke K's heart.

"There's been a change in plans. Do you remember our deadline?"

Hiro and Yuuji exchanged fearful glances with each other. Tohma, Ryuichi and Ayaka kept their eyes glued to the silent novelist, their own eyes filled with vibrant tension. Reiji nodded in the officer's direction, balling her hands into a fist upon her lap. The officer released another heavy sigh, which made something very clear; he was _extremely _upset.

"We're going to end up losing if we follow that deadline."

A chorus of "what"s filled the air, and then K continued.

"The one conducting the hostage situation has been identified as 'Yoshiki Kitazawa'. She's the one that came into contact with Eiri just a short while ago. I was right on the money when I said she wasn't bluffing about 'holding a party'. Get this; she's a prostitute with an **_enormous _**network. She and her friends are wreaking havoc within the Empire State Building."

Suguru's mouth practically fell to the floor. K nodded at him, and a sorrowful smile bloomed on his face. "That's right, my friend." he told the musician calmly. "They've got the whole package going. Explosions, gunfire-you name it, they've got it. It's massive chaos down there, but here's the icing on the cake. Shindou isn't in the greatest of conditions. Time's running out, and it's running out **_fast. _**We're half an inch away from losing him."

Reiji rose from her place and allowed Tohma to take it. The kindhearted Seguchi instantly brought Eiri into a gentle embrace, and felt the rhythm of the novelist's heart. It was slow, yet horrendously fast; a rhythm like no other.

"Here's the icing to end _all _icings. Kitazawa's threatening to throw him off the top floor."

That caused an explosion of shock to ring through the small band. Hiroshi clasped his hands to both sides of head and released a loud moan. Ryuichi's jaw plummeted to the floor, and his eyes widened in fervent shock. Ayaka's facial expression was no different from his, and neither was Tohma's. Suguru covered his face in his hands and released a cry of ardent frustration.

"_**You've GOT to be shitting me!"**_

"Sorry." the officer said softly, his quiet voice filled with immortal frustration. "I'm _not _shitting you, my friend."

A river of laughter exploded from Hiro's mouth, but the laughter was nowhere near being pleasant.

"Someone tell me this isn't happening. **_Please _**tell me this isn't happening."

K's vigilant, benevolent eyes fell into Eiri's eyes. The eyes of the novelist were articulate, vibrant canvasses of life; they were filled with sorrow, fear and **_pure love._**

"I'm accompanying Eiri. One of you is switching places with me, but we **_aren't_** taking the flight. The flight isn't going to get us there in time. I've found another route, and we're taking it."


	14. Flight

Hello, and welcome back to 'Kakumei'! Boy, it feels WONDERFUL to be back! Please forgive me for the horrendous delay; a friend interfered with my writing process, and he went by the name of 'Life'. I'm back now, and ready for more 'Kakumei' angst! Hee hee!

I spent the last couple of days planning out this chapter. I ate inspiration from the Bruce Willis movie called 'Hostage' and other sources! I'm going to make sure each chapter is a pure, golden masterpiece! The rest of 'Kakumei' is going to require all of my skill, so I hope I do well!

I'd like to give another huge shout-out to all of the Gravitation authors out there, including my pal Dejichan! All of you RULE! Let's rock until the break of dawn!

Without further ado, here's 'Flight'!

* * *

_Theme of 'Flight': New Hope (Industrial Version), 'Beauty and the Beast' by Jump5

* * *

When a human being decides to follow the rules of ignorance, the arrival of truth is inevitable. The ignorant being is forced into a situation that brings out their full strength, and the truth descends from a cascade of wicked darkness. Sunlight fills an ignorant life with liberation, starlight gives birth to love and moonlight creates a realm of impenetrable happiness. The human being finally accepts the newborn truth and begins a whole new life, filled with the promises of an endless spring morning._

All humans are presented with opportunities to emit their full potential. Unfortunately, only most of them seize those opportunities. Instead of facing the golden glow of truth, they decide to spend their existence in fear. Others embrace those opportunities, radiant with the hope for a new future. The costs of the opportunities are ignored; only the benefits are the beacons of determined human beings.

Eiri Yuki, a renowned romance novelist, was about to seize his chance at eternity.

He had spent ten thousand eternities in shrouded, deceitful truth. He kept himself locked within the darkest chambers of his soul, without a shred of light for eons. Emotions and dreams took their course within the stream of time, and followed the path of unbridled light. The elements of a pure, unbounded dream walked right by him...even though he dreamt of endless light every day. He wandered throughout meaningless time as a lost, broken soul...a soul that carried no hope, happiness or even love. The gifts of humanity-love, happiness and hope-were strange to him. He wandered throughout many years as an infant, unaware of the treasures human life had to offer.

His ignorance was shattered with the advent of a bright star.

The empyrean, young star had filled his life with a thousand dreams. He had showered him with love, honored him with happiness, and restored his belief in hope. Even the smallest of gestures held the warmth of a sunrise; the young star's heart was as pure as a dove's wing. The little star was the entity of love, for even a simple smile moved the novelist's heart. The star's bright eyes were always filled with eternity, and they never failed to shimmer with celestial radiance. The little star believed in fairy tales; he believed in everlasting, pure love.

Shuichi Shindou wasn't a normal human being.

His belief in love was immoderately bright, powerful and true. No other human possessed such a strong passion for love, and no other human would ever be able to. His very existence glimmered with luminous innocence, and it filled the novelist's dark life with gold. Without even knowing it, the bright star had turned the novelist's life into a fairy tale; an epic tale of love, loyalty and hope. The romance novelist became Prince Charming, the quintessence of bravery and love. The star took on the role of the princess, the romantic dreamer. Unfortunately, the prince refused to cooperate with the young star's dreams. Emotional abuse fell from his hands and onto the star's heart; the prince wanted **_nothing _**to do with the hopeful soul, and chose to batter him at every opportunity.

The torment eventually forced the star from his skies, and he vanished into a cold night.

All mistakes were lodged within the prince's heart. He knew he had committed a horrific crime; he had abused the most beautiful of treasures. He had shattered the dreams of a beautiful soul, and knew he had no right to reclaim them. The star was far too beautiful to be held within humanity...and the prince had no right to hold that beauty within his own heart. However, the star's disappearance gave birth to the truth. The truth rose from the ashes of deceit, soared into the skies and created a path to eternity. The prince had always loved the dreamer; he had savored every moment he spent with him. Unfortunately, a tragic moment within the prince's past caused him to lock his heart away...and so he refused to show any glow of love to the star.

Now the ethereal star was in danger.

A new tale was about to be etched into the stars.

Claude K. Winchester had become an invaluable companion to the prince. He was loyal, dedicated to the mission and compassionate; no different from a father. His eyes were always filled with tranquility, but closer inspection revealed their true depth. They were valiant, vigilant gems, and both were radiant with solid courage. His years on the force carved him into a top-notch warrior; the intricacy of his eyes made that evident. He was ready and willing to place his life on the line for success, and had no desire to see their mission fail. He had come to love both Shuichi and Eiri as family members-they were no longer mere acquaintances. Both of them had fallen into his heart as brothers, and he would never be able to successfully measure the devotion he carried for them.

He was at the prince's side, soaring above the streets of the battleground: New York. Their chosen transportation was not a horse, but a _helicopter. _A reliable pilot was in control of the situation, and K was holding a strong vigil over the novelist. Eiri was silent, but his eyes eliminated the need for vocabulary. Once again, they were filled with breathtaking emotions...emotions that emitted the true depth of the human spirit. He was nervous, no doubt about that-and he had never felt so nervous before in his life. His eyes were filled with a heart-rending union of sorrow, anxiety and frustration.

He could barely keep himself still, but the boundaries of an operating helicopter didn't permit movement. His heart was angrily pounding against his chest; it was frightened of the situation at hand, and it was screaming for a chance to escape from its prison. There was a demon after it, and it had no desire to linger within Eiri's chest. The loud melody of the helicopter's blade strengthened the anxiety with each passing moment, and the cold air tore away at the novelist's body. He had never been a part of a helicopter flight before, and so the aspects of an urgent helicopter ride made the air thick with agony.

His other companions were in taxi cabs. Unfortunately, K's men were unable to spare more helicopters, and so they were all forced to take the slower roller coaster rides. None of them were too happy with their transportation, and for good reasons. Suspense clawed away at them mercilessly, laughing with the horrendous enthusiasm of a sadistic murderer. Several of his companions had the desire to sprout wings and fly, for they too were unable to sit still within confinement.

11:45.

Time never failed to crush souls within chaos. It took on a whole new meaning in the midst of desperation; it took on the role of an enemy. Every second was no different from a millennium, every minute was no different from an eon...time was a cruel force during the current situation, and it seemed to be enjoying itself. Eiri couldn't tolerate the vindictive enthusiasm; he was dangerously close to losing his true love, and so he was dangerously close to insanity. K was determined to keep him falling apart, for he wanted to see the end of their epic tale.

The pilot, a middle-aged male with a brown moustache, looked back at K and spoke.

"_**We're almost there! We've got about ten more minutes! Hold on!"**_

They were no more than minutes to the pilot, but to Eiri they were **_decades._**

His stalwart friend placed a hand on his shoulder. His eyes were surprisingly warm, and filled with unbreakable love. The officer looked as if he had known Eiri since birth, and wanted to give him the comfort he needed. "You heard what he said." he said gently, his tender voice battling against the high melody of imperative night. "We're almost there. Just hold on."

* * *

The Empire State Building was a battlefield consumed by chaos.

Hundreds of voices were piercing its realm, each of them filled with cold fear. Apprehensive crowds were gathered around it, looking upon the events taking place. Police officers, medical employees and firemen were rushing through its chambers, taking on challenges they had never dreamt of before. The forces of evil were horrendous; it was taking a lot of effort to extinguish the fiery dragons. All of them were determined to carry out their mission, and all of them were certainly ready to please their mistress, who was none other than Yoshiki.

Flocks of news reporters were hovering about the action, absorbing every detail of every event. None of them had ever seen anything so massive; the very thought of the Empire State Building being a battlefield shattered the normal boundaries of a news report.

* * *

11:50.

_Time was running out, and it had no desire to bring itself to a halt._

K's phone pierced the icy air with its ringtone. The very sound of the ringtone filled Eiri's heart with even more fear, but the conversation that followed **_tore his soul apart._**

"_Yeah, K here! What's going on?"_

"**_In regards to innocent bystanders, all floors have been cleared! There are NO other hostages, and they were no innocent casualties! However, the current hostage is in grave danger! I repeat; the current hostage is in grave danger! He is no longer being held on the 86th floor! He is within the Observatory, and he is STILL within Yoshiki Kitazawa's grasp! The chances of his survival are thirty percent! I repeat; the chances of survival are at thirty-percent!"_**

_**Thirty percent.**_

Eiri felt his heart _crumble. _Darkness flew into the cold world, and tormented him mercilessly...his voice became the voice of a fragile, lost kitten...

"No...no...**_please no..._**don't leave me...I can't imagine life without you, Shuichi..."

_Those words filled K's eyes with tears._

_Making him cry was no easy task. The officer was as hard as a bull._

"_**She's got the hostage at gunpoint! I repeat; the hostage is at gunpoint! She's threatening to kill him! The chances of his survival are now at fifteen percent! She's going to fire!"**_

A moan tore itself from Eiri's soul. It was a small moan, but it radiated with the pain of a broken soul. It was the moan of a broken animal, a broken dream...the moan of a crushed spirit. Sobs emitted themselves from the novelist's body, and filled K with even more tears. He had never witnessed such devotion before...

"_**I repeat; she's going to open fire! We're waiting on your orders!"**_

K looked into the prince's eyes...his heart filled with the hope for a future.

_**The time to act...was NOW.

* * *

**_

-Just so all of you now, K and Eiri took a jet to New York. The others kept their flights. K's a good guy to have around, isn't he? AND I LOVE WRITING POLICE TALK! IT'S FUN!

Stay tuned for the next chapter! I hope I'm not forced into another long delay...I hate reality...


	15. Revolution

Welcome to 'Revolution', the suspenseful climax of 'Kakumei'! I'm still psyched up and ready for more action, so here we go!

A few hours ago I witnessed the spectacle of 'Final Fantasy: Advent Children'. That's going to be a huge source of inspiration for this chapter! I hope I do well on the battle scene...

All of this is going to require all of my endurance and skill! I really hope I do well! Thank you all for reading; your support means so much to me. This, to me, isn't just a story. It's a portrait, a painting of my feelings, emotions and dreams. A painting of the passion I have for a manga series. I want all of you to keep on writing! Cheers! THANK YOU TO ALL!

Here we go!

* * *

_Theme of 'Revolution': 'Obsession' from .hack/sign anime. _

_Please note that the author made an error in regards to Shuichi's location. In the previous chapter, an officer stated that Shuichi had been removed from the 93rd floor and dragged onto the Observatory. Those two locations are one and the same. The author has altered his location to the 93rd floor. Fun fact; there are 102 floors in all! Thank you for your cooperation.

* * *

_

It was now...or never.

Everything had lead up to this one moment.

All of the heartache...all of the confusion...all of the agony and pain...

_All of it had led to a final challenge._

The night's frosty winds whipped at his ears and forced strands of his hair to embrace the unfathomable darkness. His eyes, which were radiant with determination, scanned the endless world. His heart had ceased its frantic screaming, for it was now a captive of belligerent, fatal silence. It could barely operate, and had no desire to do so. The chambers of his heart were cold, even colder than the darkest moon. His heart was slowly pounding against his chest, fearfully awaiting the advent of devastation. A demon was still hunting it, but it had nowhere to run. It was trapped, locked within the seas of the night.

The rapid helicopter blades seemed to be moving at the speed of sound. Their melody was relentless, reckless and intolerably dauntless. The song seemed to be cheering the prince on, but he was trapped between a rock and a hard place.

The route of time came to a temporary halt. The prince closed his eyes and fell into the frozen stream...as his mind clouded over with memories of the past. They were distant memories, memories he had created with the songbird...but as they rose to the surface of the present, they became vital pieces of the present and critical pieces of the future.

His songbird had showered him with ethereal love; a kind of love no other human being had known. The young one had honored him with unmistakable, impenetrable light...and bestowed simple miracles upon his lonely soul. Unfortunately, not a single miracle made its way through to the prince's broken soul. The tragedy that occurred within the prince's past had caused him to shut down...and it destroyed his belief in true light. His heart wanted to embrace the young songbird; his soul wanted to drown in the songbird's melody. He loved the young one with a ferocity that surpassed **_all languages, forms of description and emotion. _**Because of the pain he had suffered in the past, he was unable to embrace the young one...

_**...and now his songbird's life was hanging in the balance.**_

"_**I don't need any stray animals hanging around here. Why don't you get lost?"**_

"_**You're nothing but a thorn in my side! I told you to scram, insect!"**_

"_**I should tie you down somewhere! That would keep you quiet!"**_

He had always loved Shuichi Shindou.

The songbird's disappearance had transformed him into a completely different person. He was now the person he was _meant _to be...the person he had _always been. _

His chest became tight as more images soared through time. Tears wrenched themselves from his closed eyes...as his heart endured a whirlpool of malicious memories. Each memory gave birth to a teardrop, and each teardrop disappeared into the night...as quickly as his songbird had vanished. His chest became tighter and tighter with each breathe he took...and with each memory, his love for the songbird became stronger.

"_Fucking cockroach, piss off! I don't need you around!"_

"_You make me sick! I never asked you to stay here!"_

The cold, endless night rushed into his closed eyes...as three words left his lips.

"I love you."

_I've always loved you._

Translucent puffs of ice withdrew themselves...as he continued to speak to a faraway dream.

"I love you, Shuichi. I'll always love you...no matter what."

_**It was time for the truth to reveal itself.

* * *

**_

11:47.

There were only two souls within the 93rd floor.

One of them was the personification of evil; the other was an entity of pure, radiant innocence.

The entire floor was engulfed by crimson flames. The air was unbearably heavy, and excruciatingly hot; completely unsuited for human life. However, the personification of evil was able to execute her twisted plans within the inhospitable realm. The demonic dragon was able to breathe, laugh and formulate ruthless schemes without difficulty, so the atmosphere was perfect for her. It was hard to believe that she was even human, for an average human would have lost their live in the midst of such horror.

The entity of purity had managed to escape from his captor's grasp, but he was unable to remove himself from her presence. He was no longer at gunpoint; somehow, he had managed to tear himself from that predicament, but ended up in a completely new one. His legs, which were covered in bruises and blood, were carrying him around the floor...and his eyes were scanning for a solution to his crisis.

_**The princess was searching for a way to escape from the tower.**_

_**The dragon wasn't willing to let the princess leave.**_

She was on the floor, crawling about in the most horrendous manner. She was no longer a human, but a red-eyed spider; a black widow, to be exact. Her eyes were a violent shade of red, and they were radiant with cold, black evil...

"_There's no point in running! Don't you see? You're MINE, now and forever!"_

A cry tore itself from Shuichi's soul as Yoshiki grabbed onto his left knee, **_smiling..._**

"_**I've taken you MANY times, and I'll take you again! I'll force you to give yourself to me!"**_

Words tore themselves not just from his mouth, but from his spirit as well. Strength was not a bountiful crop within him, but a strong flow managed to rise from his heart, and it struck his captor savagely.

"_**I'll never give myself to you! I'D RATHER DIE!"**_

"_**Fine! I'll take you in death, and EAT EVERY LAST DROP OF YOU!"**_

In many tales, the smallest individuals possessed phenomenal strength. Such was the case of Shuichi Shindou. The vocalist of Bad Luck appeared to be small and weak, but he carried an unbelievable amount of strength. With a single kick, he forced Yoshiki several yards away from him, and sent her into the world between consciousness and sleep.

_**He knew her trip wasn't going to last long at all...and so he had very little time to act.**_

His incandescent eyes fell into the windows before him.

11:50.

_If I fall...you'll catch me...won't you?_

_You'll be there...to save me._

_I'm not going to let her take me..._

_...because...I...

* * *

_

"_Jonah!"_

Eiri's sharp voice struck the helicopter pilot like a whip. The pilot, who bore the name of Jonah, looked back at the novelist and gasped; the prince's eyes were filled with immeasurable determination. He was about to pull something, but what?

"_What is it?"_

"_How fast can this thing go?"_

Claude K. Winchester glanced at Eiri worriedly. The novelist chose not to acknowledge his fearful, confused glance.

"_This little baby can go pretty fast! Up to 210 miles per hour!"_

The novelist's next words were delivered with perfect execution. They were bold, strong and radiant with unbreakable courage.

"_**I want you to rise to that speed!"**_

During his years as an officer, Claude K. Winchester had encountered a variety of challenges. He had witnessed many heroic deeds, and had crafted many of his own heroic deeds. He was notorious for pulling off life-threatening stunts, and loved the spirit of battle. However, he had never witnessed the true depth of love before. Eiri Yuki had never taken a helicopter ride in his **_life, _**but he was willing to make his first ride a death-defying one. The officer had never seen such courage within a human's eyes before.

The pilot had never witnessed such valiance either. The maximum speed of his aircraft was safe for the aircraft, of course, but it was dangerous to its riders. Going 210 miles in a land craft was dangerous enough, but this nut wanted to _fly in a helicopter at the same speed!"_

"**_Are you INSANE? We're at 95 right now! You've GOT to be out of your freakin' mind!"_**

_**Eiri gave him a look that surpassed a thousand black nights.**_

"_**Listen to me, pal. Someone I love is in danger! If you don't take this thing up a notch, I'M GOING TO CHUCK YOU OUT AND DRIVE IT MYSELF! Did I make myself clear?"

* * *

**_

11:52.

Silent winds brushed Shuichi's shoulders...as his gentle eyes scanned the world around him. He was trapped, trapped within a world he knew little of...a world he no longer wanted to be a part of...

"Yuki..."

**She was right behind him...crawling...laughing...**

**...holding a gun within her left hand...**

**...and his back was turned on her.**

"_If you won't let me take you alive, I'll just hold your cold, lifeless body..."_

"You'll...you'll catch me, won't you?"

_Will you save me?

* * *

_

11:55.

Time was moving at the speed of sound. The world was frozen, hundreds of people were oblivious to the chaos...

_Time was moving, and it was moving fast..._

11:58.

"**_He has jumped! I repeat; the hostage has jumped from the 93rd floor! THE HOSTAGE HAS JUMPED FROM THE BUILDING!"_**

They were right in the midst of time, soaring to the falling songbird...

Time threw itself in the form of a thunderbolt...

_**Eiri's heart came to a violent stop.**_

"_**SHUICHI!"**_

K whipped his vigilant eyes on the frightened pilot, who had never been involved in such an urgent mission before. His highest speed was 100, but at the moment, he was being forced to fly at a phenomenal 212...

"_**JONAH! GET IN THERE, NOW!"**_

The officer's eyes crashed into the novelist's face. Just a short while ago, the author's face was a dead portrait of silence. Now it was alive, a vibrant canvas of fear, sorrow and hope. His loyal companion took on a gentle tone, but it was also an urgent tone...

"**_Eiri! We've got ONE chance at this! I want you to make sure Shindou has a nice landing! Do you understand? We've got ONE shot! If we miss, it's over!"_**

_**His heart resumed its screaming...but its screams were silent.**_

_**His chest began to burn turbulently...his eyes froze in the midst of time...**_

_**Everything became a part of a dream...as time flew by him...**_

_**He had ONE shot at happiness. One, and ONLY one shot.**_

_**One chance.**_

The pilot's skills were enduring an intense test. He had never been a participant in a life-or-death mission before, but now he felt as if the entire world was on his shoulders. With newborn determination, he took his two companions into the line of fire...towards the falling songbird...

_**One shot.**_

A flash of golden light pierced Eiri's eyes.

"I'll catch you."

Time froze itself, but at the same time, it took on a speed that surpassed the speed of sound.

_**An eternity took place within a second.**_

Several things happened simultaneously.

K shouted to the helicopter pilot...

...the pilot released a cry of resolution...

...and Eiri Uesugi caught Shuichi Shindou.

The two of them crashed into the right side of the helicopter...as the pilot began to remove them from the battlefield's presence. Claude K. Winchester rushed over to his friends immediately...and felt his chest swell with tears. A small whisper left his frozen lips...as his heart shivered with immeasurable disbelief...

"It's him...Shindou...it's really him...our Shuichi..."

The desire to break down and cry struck K's heart for the very first time. He became a parent that had wandered the earth for a lost child; his eyes filled themselves with ethereal emotion, and oceans withdrew themselves from his eyes. For the very first time, he threw off his officer aura and became an ecstatic father...one that had just been reunited with a very dear child. He kept his eyes on his two loved ones, trembling with sobs...

"It's him...it's really him..."

What occurred between the reunited couple brought him to his knees.

Shuichi was lost within the tides of unconsciousness. His eyes were closed, tied down by the cold hands of pain...and his body was drenched in horrid wounds. His gentle features were moist from the descent of starlit oceans, and his body was even colder than an iceberg. His attire, which had served as an elegant blue outfit, was no longer a picture of elegance; it was in horrific, bloodstained shreds. His hair wasn't radiant with its usual pink jubilance; it was the shade of an endless evening.

There was one more horrifying fact.

_**The songbird was covered in gasoline.**_

For the very first time...

...Eiri Uesugi held the unconscious songbird close to him.

The very one he thought he would never see again...the one he had neglected...the one he loved with all of his heart...

_**...was in his arms.**_

He held the sleeping vocalist in a gentle, passionate embrace. He brushed the body of his loved one gently, treating him as if he were a tiny crystal shard. His hands caressed the inches of the songbird's body...as his heart absorbed the presence of newborn love. His soul drank in the scent of Shuichi's hair, his eyes absorbed Shuichi's body, and his heart fell into the vocalist's silent tears. He held him close...and didn't want to let him go...

"Shuichi."

His voice was a soft, empyrean whisper...a zephyr of undying love...

"Shuichi, it's me. I'm here. I'm here, Songbird."

He sent passionate kisses to the songbird's forehead, and then nuzzled him gently.

"I'm here. Everything's going to be fine. I've got you."

_I love you..._

_I love you so much...it hurts..._

"I'll make sure you smile again. I'll take care of you. Just...promise me...you'll wake up..."

Cascades of eternal light fell from his eyes...and found their havens on Shuichi's silent eyes. The novelist placed his forehead against Shuichi's...his gentle breath falling onto the vocalist's chilled body. A familiar song drew itself from his heart...in the form of an eternal dream...

"_Be exposed in a state of purity..._

_Like a flower whose petals have fallen_

_You're just beginning to notice_

_The days are shining jewels cupped in your hand..."_

_**I love you...**_

Teardrops fell from Eiri's heart, and they embraced the vocalist's silent tears...

"I love you, Shuichi Shindou. Please...wake up."

A miracle bloomed between the two of them...and a seed of true love was planted.

Eiri's warm lips fell into Shuichi's...**_for the very first time._**

It was a blissful, passionate kiss...an embrace that shattered all boundaries and description. It was an embrace that held the promise of the future, and the dreams of the present. It was a warm, rich kiss that defied the limits of life, death and time...a kiss that would never be forgotten. It drifted into the depths of eternity, and brought about another miracle. Shuichi Shindou opened his eyes...and...

...saw the face of his prince.

His voice was small, so small and fragile...so weak...

"...Yuki?"

An immortal smile bloomed on the novelist's face. His voice was warm, infinitely warm and soothing...

"Hey. It's me. I've got you. Everything's all right."

_I've got you._

What happened next caused _him _to break into sobs.

Shuichi's eyes were once again tied down by darkness. They slowly closed themselves, unable to keep themselves open...and the songbird snuggled against the warmth of his prince. He was small, so delicate and...

_**...beautiful...**_

"Jonah."

The pilot was stunned to hear his name, since his customers were in the midst of a reunion. He looked back at the prince, who was still holding the ethereal treasure within his arms...

"What is it?"

Eiri Uesugi's eyes pierced his soul...and filled him with perpetual admiration.

Eiri's next words shocked both _him _and the loyal officer.

"Once Shuichi is taken care of, take me back to the 93rd floor. I've got some business to settle."

* * *

The reunion between Eiri and Shuichi was a play on 'Sleeping Beauty'. Since Shuichi is a heavy believer in fairy tales, I thought it would be cute for them to have a fairy-tale like reunion. The song Eiri sang to him was Bad Luck's 'Sleepless Beauty', which fit the occasion perfectly. The relationship between Tifa Lockhart and Cloud Strife inspired me too.

EVERYONE'S REACHING THEIR TRUE POTENTIAL! EVEN THE PILOT! ISN'T IT GREAT?

I hope I did a vewwy good job on the reunion! UP NEXT; THE SHOWDOWN BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL! WHEE! WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT? ONLY TIME WILL TELL! Stay tuned, faithful friends!


	16. Promise

HI! WELCOME ONE, WELCOME ALL! Welcome to the suspenseful showdown, 'Promise'!

We're finally down to the battle against good and evil. The fight sequences within 'Advent Children' are going to be huge sources of inspiration for this chapter, so I really hope I execute the battle scene well! The music of the .hack/sign anime is in the background, and its creating the perfect atmosphere. Final Fantasy soundtracks are huge helpers too!

First off, I would like to give a big 'thank-you' to Riku, one of my newest reviewers. That reviewer pointed out something to me. Within the previous entry, I made a critical error; the song 'Sleepless Beauty' is actually Nittle Grasper's song, **_not _**Bad Luck's. I welcome all kinds of reviews **_and _**criticism, **_just not FLAMES. _**Thank you all!

Once again, I would like to give a special shout-out to several authors. First off is my pal Dejichan. Imay sound a little biased because she's my pal, but her story is **_incredible. _**Her latest chapter just blew me away! My second shout-out goes to kyogotmilk, the author of 'Why'. That's definitely another angst parade!

I think I may have started something...Shuichi's being tormented in a lot of stories...is it all my fault? So much rape and terror! Wah! I'm sorry Shuichi!

* * *

_Theme of 'Promise': 'Hurry!' from Final Fantasy X OST, 'One-Winged Angel' from Final Fantasy: Advent Children OST. Warning: Strong language and descriptions.

* * *

_

Pain had been a close enemy of Eiri Uesugi for a thousand years.

It had tormented him, used him and abused him in every way imaginable. It prevented him from accepting the purity of true love, and even kept his eyes closed to the beauty of the world. It spent all of its days and nights torturing him, and it carried no regret for its actions. It spilled cold, cruel laughter, and filled his days with everlasting agony. It ate away at his soul, smiling with the vindictive hatred of a sadistic cobra. It kept him away from everything he wanted...

_**...it kept him away from the truth.**_

His days were battles, battles against his closest enemy. Even the smallest of decisions and movements were battles, for he spent every breath pretending to be something he **_knew _**he wasn't. His horrific past transformed him into a monster; a creature that was oblivious to the ways of love. It placed a mask on him, one that turned him into a creature of night. The desire to embrace love burned brightly, but he was unable to acknowledge its presence...for the past had filled him with seemingly eternal confusion.

The prince had been unable to love his bright star for so long...but now...it was time. It was time for the lies, deceit and pain to end. He had rescued his bright star from the tallest tower, but the dragon was still running rampant, and it was time to put an end to it. He had carved the entire dilemma with his own hands; if he had never abused the one he loved, the world wouldn't have been covered in darkness. Claude K. Winchester had volunteered to wipe out the demon himself, but the prince knew what he had to do. He knew what he had started, and he knew what he had to finish.

The blades of the helicopter were carrying him to the battlefield. They were operating at their highest speed, pushing themselves to their limits. They were cheering for him, urging him on...using all of their strength to carry him. The pilot of the vehicle was silent, still in shock from the urgency of the situation, but his heart was filled with awe. He had never been in the presence of such a heroic individual before, and so he was no different from a child meeting an enormous baseball star.

Several seconds ago, the prince was in the midst of a chaotic reunion. Many things happened at once; Shuichi Shindou was removed and placed inside of an ambulance. The loyal knights broke into tears as soon as they saw the sleeping songbird, policemen shouted many orders, and several of the knights cried out to the prince. All of them were in tears, and all of them were confused by the prince's decision to stay in the helicopter. The one that got through to him last was his brother, Tatsuha.

* * *

"_Where do you think you're going?"_

"_I'm going after Kitazawa!"_

"_Eiri! You don't have to! We're finished! Come on! We've got Shuichi!"_

"_I'm not finished yet, Tatsuha! I've got business to attend to!"_

"_Bro, listen to me! Her floor is on FIRE! Let K's men take care of her!"_

"_I started this, so I need to FINISH IT! End of story!"

* * *

_

Eiri broke off the hectic conversation right after the completion of that statement. Tatsuha's fearful, sorrowful eyes burned into his for one moment, and then the helicopter door tore them apart. The pilot began the second flight, followed by the worried eyes of Tatsuha Uesugi. Eiri said nothing to the pilot, but there were no words needed. The prince's eyes spoke a thousand words, and each word filled the pilot with fervent admiration. His customer was ready to kill; there was no doubt about it.

It was 12:05.

Shuichi was out of harm's way. His friends were fine.

There was one last thing that **_had_** to be done.

* * *

"_I'll take him...I'll take him...every part of him...every last drop of him..."_

She was a horrendous monster, dancing among the flames. Her eyes were malevolent, dark and eternal...bitter oceans of endless evil. She was an entity of deceit, glowing with the ferocity of everlasting destruction. Her prey was nowhere near her, but she could still taste it. The taste of her prey never left her, for it was sweet...even sweeter than the richest buttermilk. She had captured many helpless individuals before, but her latest one was still on her mind...and the taste of his skin was tormenting. She had bitten into it many times, but every time was the first.

She had savored his screams, his whimpers and pleas. She enjoyed every second of her reign, and wanted to relive every bit of her pleasure. Her latest prey was a luscious, tender little thing...and she wanted to tear him apart.

She knew the prince was on the way. The final confrontation was on its way...and she was ready to embrace it. The dragon loved the spirit of battle, whether it came from her helpless prey, or from courageous, vengeful warriors. She loved to sink her claws into anything that came her way.

Seconds elapsed. The rapid melody of helicopter blades pierced her ears, and then an individual removed itself from the vehicle. The individual made itself known in mere seconds; he rose from the floor and sent a glare in her direction, emitting tidal waves of strength. The prince was an entity of bravery; his eyes were dark, alive with the thirst for vengeance. His attire, an elegant black suit, highlighted his physique. The only things missing were a sword and shield, but neither of those were needed; his eyes were deadly enough.

She smiled at him.

"Well, hello there...Eiri."

Silence. He was pissed; **_beyond _**pissed.

"Long time no see. You've grown into quite the man. It's a pity that my brother isn't here to see you."

He placed a hand on his hip, speaking as if she were no more than an irritating co-worker.

"You've got a lot of balls, smiling at me like that. You know, your brother turned me into quite a bastard. I'm about to undo all of that, though."

Her smile became darker. It turned into a sickening grin.

"You poor thing. You must have suffered a lot. I'm glad that you were able to rescue your precious plaything." Here she began to lick her fingers. "You know," she said mockingly, "he's quite yummy. I had the chance to play with him myself-many times, in fact. I enjoyed him. He was a little irritating at times, but I enjoyed **_every _**bite."

His eyes became darker. They would have broken an average human's spirit.

"Well, playtime's over. You're about to pay for your fun, my friend."

"You smell like gasoline. You know, you shouldn't get too close to **_fire. _**You might burn."

Her tone was disgusting...and it was driving him crazy. She was sick, twisted and evil; in other words, she was no longer human. She was a cold-blooded monster.

"You know," she repeated happily. She seemed to enjoy those words. "I wanted to have one last go at him. He was such a cute, **_lovely _**little thing. Really. I wanted us to go out in _style."_

Something within Eiri **_snapped._ **His chest became tight...as his short reunion with Shuichi surfaced in his mind. The bright star had snuggled against him, hungry for comfort...bearing a desire for protection...

He had to keep himself from biting down on his lip. Doing so would have caused his own bloodshed.

"Don't worry." he said softly, his voice a dark shade of hatred. "I'll give you a party. I'll give you a party...**_even if it kills me!"_**

The two of them lunged at each other, tied against the crimson flames of the battlefield. A wrestling match ensued; one was a warrior of fiery ferocity, the other was the dragon of malevolent ecstasy. The prince quickly found out his strength; he had never received a chance to emit his skills, and was ready to execute every move with every ounce of strength. The wrestling match was a duel, one that seemed to be hopeless for him...for even though his strength was ardent, her strength was greater...for she carried the strength of an alien. Her sickening glee was supplying her with inhuman strength; it was almost unbelievable.

"I'll kill you, Eiri...I'll kill you, and **_take your precious, PRETTY LITTLE SHUICHI!"_**

In the blink of an eye, she whipped out a blade and delivered a fierce stab to his chest. The ferocity of the attack shocked him; that gave her the advantage. She took the opportunity to deliver two more attacks of the same kind, but after the execution of the second, he delivered a kick that sent her into the wall. Blood began to fall from his chest as he began to display his strength; she quickly found out that he was an amazing martial artist.

She also found out that he was unarmed.

Seconds elapsed, but each second was an **_hour. _**They went into a deadlock...one was grinning at the other, the other was growling with hatred...

"You're pretty good. You must have taught yourself something over the years."

They broke apart. The prince took up a fighting stance, once again bearing the voice of an annoyed employee.

"I did. Took courses after your bastard of a brother ruined me. Pretty nice, eh?"

"Yes, _you are." _she said, in a way that made him want to vomit. "Very nice. After this, I'll have to screw with you...the way I **_screwed _**with your little toy."

He thought of the bright star...and the way he had always smiled...the way he had always called out his name...

Shuichi.

_**I'll make sure you smile again...even if I can't be there to see that smile. I promise...**_

He was always so warm, so jubilant...so...**_so...HAPPY..._**

"You...you...**_you fucking bitch!"_**

The duel resumed. The prince was a flawless martial artist; the dragon was a mindless demon of strength. Her strength was uncontrollable, his was pure and true. Even though pain was exploding within his chest, he executed every move perfectly...but she never failed to retaliate with a move of her own. At one point, she made an attempt to blind him, but a single punch ended the attempt as soon as it began. That failure brought about an explosion of frustration, and she unleashed it with merciless fury. She took up the role of a mindless beast, slashing and screaming...

Minutes elapsed. He found the perfect opportunity, and **_seized it. _**

He brought into a headlock; he brought his right arm around her neck, right before she was able to deliver another stab. Pain continued to explode within him...streams of blood coursed down his chest...

She was screaming, wriggling like a frightened beast. She wasn't a human; she wasn't even near the animal kingdom. She was a horrendous, cruel monster...one that didn't deserve the beauty of life. She tried to remove herself from his grasp, but all of her attempts failed...

"It looks like I've won. I hope you had fun."

_**Her eyes burned into his.**_

"_**Release me! Let me go, NOW! Let me go, I said!"**_

"Sorry. Can't do that."

Silence overwhelmed a second later...as she fell to the floor...

_**...with a broken neck.**_

He fell to the floor a second later, covered in pain...

The flames vanished...as voices drifted into his ears...and cold mist fell over him...

His chest was burning...and it was burning badly...

He could barely breathe...he could barely keep his eyes open...

"Shuichi..."

The world became dark...as a blanket of pain wrapped itself around him. Strength left him...

"Goodbye, my songbird...I...I'm so sorry...I made you cry..."

_I love you, Shuichi..._

The last thing Eiri Uesugi heard...was the cry of his loyal friend, Claude K. Winchester.

"_**EIRI!"**_


	17. Aftermath

HI EVERYONE! Welcome to 'Aftermath', the newest entry of 'Kakumei'!

I'm so excited! I've never been so happy about a story before, ever! I didn't expect such a tremendous response from the last chapter! I can't tell you how much your reviews meant to me, but they were all WONDERFUL! The responses all of you gave me made me really happy to be a writer. THANK YOU...ALL OF YOU! This isn't just my story any more; it's EVERYONE'S! YAY!

**_I'd like to dedicate this ENTIRE CHAPTER to all of my friends! Thank you everyone!

* * *

_**

_Theme of 'Aftermath': Mystical Princess by Masashi Hamauzu, Mermaid Hime from Chobits, 'True Love's First Kiss' from Shrek score. This chapter was inspired by my friend Dejichan, and her last review. I would like to give a huge hug to her!

* * *

_

Time increased its pace after the tremendous battle.

In the blink of an eye, every resident of New York learned of the battle. News reporters emitted swift waves of excitement during their sessions, journalists rapidly created articles, and adrenaline struck the entire city in the form of a thunderbolt. No one had ever witnessed such an enormous event, and so the intense battle produced a wide variety of reactions. Many were horrified, others were shocked...and others were jubilant, for a new hero had emerged from the battle.

Eiri Uesugi's heroic acts followed the details of the battle. The novelist quickly became a celebrity throughout the colorful city; children quickly made them their new super hero, and others were simply stunned by his bravery. The battle that had occurred within the Empire State Building took on the qualities of a fairy tale; it became known as the 'Duel of Love'. Many news reporters referred to Eiri as 'Romeo'; as soon as they learned of his deeds, they immediately thought of the beloved character from 'Romeo and Juliet', a time honored tale of true love. Shuichi Shindou instantly became 'Juliet', and everyone fell madly in love with the restored epic. The entire city felt as if all fairy tales had come to life within their own city, and they had never felt so proud of their home before.

The story behind the battle was told by none other than Claude K. Winchester. His name carried an enormous load behind it; he was practically popular with every media and military establishment. He bore the desire to share his friend's heroic deeds, and did so without the slightest hesitation. As soon as he opened his mouth, news reporters and even citizens jumped on him...the way lions would have jumped on a piece of steak. The responses he received were passionate; many individuals even shared their thoughts in tears. The reports also created negative responses, though; an epidemic of shattered relationships began. Many women and men realized that their lovers wouldn't have risked their lives for them, and so they tore off their bonds and went about their ways. Of course, they left behind tremendous confusion; their lovers even tried to deny their accusations. Their attempts to deny everything fell through, though; it was clear that **_none _**of them would have sacrificed anything for their loved ones.

Shuichi Shindou, the young songbird of Bad Luck, was instantly rushed into New York's finest hospital. He was placed into I.C.U without question, and was followed by Eiri Uesugi. The battle between good and evil was at a close, but the ending brought about no relief. There was not just **_one _**but **_two _**lives at stake; the songbird and the prince were both in critical condition. Their loyal friends posted themselves in the waiting room, and drowned in excruciating agony...each of them carrying their own thoughts...**_their own wishes._**

Days elapsed...and each day took on the form of a year. None of the knights slept, and they refused to eat; none of them had the desire to function. Their songbird was still in danger, and their brave prince...the one that had been so far from them for so long...was also in danger. Eiri Yuki had been a stranger to all of them...but Eiri _Uesugi _had become a very, **_very _**dear friend. A single thought of him brought tears to their eyes, for they had come to love him...the way they would treasure a family member.

News of Eiri's condition came on the hour, every hour...right along with news of Shuichi's condition. At one point, the news of Shuichi caused all of them to break down...for it was anything but positive. The doctor reported that he had awakened, but was lost in fear; he felt as if his captors were still after him, ready to devour him once again. He was able to acknowledge the doctors, but was unable to calm himself; it was as if Yoshiki and her partners were in the same room. He struggled violently against human contact, and made several attempts to dash from the room; he was like a frightened canine...a shattered canine that had endured the worst abuse. The songbird's friends knew of rape's side effects...and feared the worst. However, their fears were extinguished after two more days, for Shuichi's cries were born from another reason. A sorrowful Tohma Seguchi made a visit to him, and spent the first half of his visit in sobs. His heart-rending cries caused the songbird to awaken, and a conversation ensued.

Producing speech was almost impossible for the gentle Seguchi, but somehow he was able to speak his heart. He wasn't just visiting on Eiri's behalf; he had come to love Shuichi...as much as he loved Eiri. He brought the vocalist into a sorrowful embrace, sobbed until his eyes were burning...then spoke his thoughts. He spoke of how everyone had missed him, how everyone had feared the worst...and then he spoke of the transformation Eiri had gone under. The novelist went from being a cold-hearted, stoic rock to a loving, dauntless prince...and the details of his transformation were shared with the songbird. K's reports sprang from the Seguchi's lips...and then the latest news of his condition followed. The novelist was not in the best shape...as a matter of fact, they were **_severely _**close to losing him. His wounds had been healed, but he was trapped within a comatose state; the doctors told him that the situation had everything to do with his **_mental state. _**He received several head wounds during the battle, but those wounds had nothing to do with anything. His comatose state was born from his **_heart, _**not from the wounds. Something was preventing him from awakening...and no one knew anything.

Tohma's reports caused the young vocalist to break into sobs. The gentle songbird pierced the air with soul-shattering cries, and felt his heart unite with Tohma's. Both of them held each other...and filled the night air with tears. Their cries alarmed the other loyal knights...and all of them united with each other...for what felt like the VERY first time.

The following day brought about more sorrow. Visits to Eiri took place, but none of them produced any relief. They only succeeded in producing more tears; Reiji broke into sobs, Tohma did the same, and so did Yuuji Nakano. Hiroshi Nakano and Suguru Fujisaki had never sobbed before in their lives, but the mere sight of Eiri shattered their hearts. None of them were able to awaken the sleeping prince...and so they felt as if they had failed him.

Shuichi's violent reactions to human contact vanished. Tohma's words echoed throughout his mind as time passed...and his trauma disappeared as quickly as it came. His fear of Yoshiki drifted away as soon as K reported everything to him...and it was replaced by his fear for Eiri's life. The songbird felt as if he would never stop crying...and a burning desire to see his prince tormented him. However, his injuries prevented him from doing so; he was not ready to stand upon his feet yet, due to the horrific wounds _he _had received from Yoshi. More tears came about from his inability to stand...for his heart longed for a chance to look upon his prince's face.

The entire situation had both teams of doctors in _tears. _They too knew of the latest headlines, and none of Shuichi's doctors liked hearing his cries; listening to him was like watching a one-legged puppy die. They had never encountered such a passionate patient before...none of them had ever been involved in such a heart-rending love story. Two lovers were torn from each other, trapped within time's relentless grasp...and they could do nothing to unite them.

* * *

January 12th, 2006.

One of Eiri's doctors made her descent from Shuichi's room. The door to the songbird's room came to a close, and gave birth to broken spirits. The songbird's loyal, devoted friends were with him; they were trying their hardest to comfort him, but all of their attempts were crumbling as soon as they were made. They were just as worried as he was, and so they were unable to provide any true comfort for their beloved friend. The news they received didn't lighten the situation; as a matter of fact, the news only made it worse. Eiri was slipping away from all of them...and he seemed to have **_no _**desire to return.

Claude K. Winchester placed a hand on his chin. His eyes glazed over with thoughts, and their emotions alarmed his partner. Ark looked into his dear friend's face, his own eyes radiant with confusion and apprehension. He gave his friend a moment of silent thought, but he could allow no more.

"What's on your mind, K?"

K's eyes were calm, filled with the benevolence of a father...but they were also **_sad. _**All eyes fell on him; all of them came to see K as a wise leader, and they carried enormous admiration for him. After another moment of silence, the officer folded his arms and spoke.

"I know why we're losing him."

A chorus of 'what's filled the air, followed by a passionate 'why' from Shuichi. The officer released a sorrowful sigh, looking as if he were about to accept an execution date. "It's easy." he said softly, looking straight into Shuichi's violet eyes.

"_**Guilt."**_

More 'what's pierced the air, followed by several gasps. Shuichi's gentle eyes became alive with sadness and horror.

"He _knows _he can awaken...but he doesn't want to seize any opportunities to do so. He wants to sleep...and it's because of _guilt. _He can't wipe the treatment he gave Shuichi from his mind...and he feels that he doesn't deserve him. He feels that he doesn't deserve another chance, and would rather _die _than look upon Shuichi ever again."

Gasps and sobs of horror followed the explanation. Shuichi began to tremble tumultuously as sobs racked his body...and filled his eyes...

"**_That's...that's...that's horrible...it's too sad..."_**

Ayaka covered her face with her hands, her own eyes overflowing with tears. Her voice was just as shaky as Shuichi's, and filled with motherly sorrow.

"It _is _too sad...we _can't _lose him...we just **_can't..._**he means so much to us..._to all of us..."_

The songbird pierced the cold air with a passionate sob, and emitted the gentle sadness of his heart. Oceans poured themselves from his eyes...they tore themselves from his heart and soaked the world around him...

"**_I HAVE TO GO SEE HIM! I JUST HAVE TO!"_**

Shuichi's vibrant, poignant voice brought even more tears from the knights. The songbird wasn't the vocalist of Bad Luck for nothing; he had a voice that emitted the true depth of human emotions. Simple sentences were miraculous creations, for even those carried great emotion behind them. His violet eyes never failed to accompany his words, for they met the emotion of his words flawlessly. They took on lives of their own, and spoke with the fire of his young heart. More words tore themselves from his lips, and caused many doctors within hearing range to break into tears.

"_**I CAN'T LET HIM GO! IJUST CAN'T! HE NEEDS ME! PLEASE LET ME GO!"**_

One of his doctors had made a silent return during his previous cry. His fatherly eyes fell into Shuichi's passionate eyes...and a warm smile bloomed on his warm features. He felt like a parent facing a desperate child, and wanted to make Shuichi's wish come true. "You may visit him, young one." the forty-year old doctor said comfortingly, unable to restrain a vibrant grin. "Your injuries are enduring the process of healing, but they are no longer preventing you from walking. You may need some assistance, however-"

The doctor was unable to emit the rest of his sentence. With an ardent '_Thank you!', _the vocalist placed a blanket about himself, removed himself from his confinement and dashed from the room, acting like a child embrace Christmas Day. The songbird was immediately followed by Ryuichi Sakuma, Hiroshi Nakano and Tohma Seguchi. Fervent tension prevented the others from following for a moment, but they quickly recovered.

* * *

It was dark...dark, cold and **_empty._**

There was no light of any kind in his world. He had locked himself within a black hole, one that carried no warmth or dreams. It was a hole that had been crafted from his emotions...and from his own desires. It consisted of the past, and carried the stench of a dark future. The skies were black, filled with endless, icy winds...and beneath his feet was an everlasting sheet of black snow. It was cold...too cold for human comfort...

...but it was where he wanted to stay.

Tears were streaming down his face, and each of them glimmered with the beauty of a dewdrop. They fell upon the cold, snowy earth...and made their final havens as starlight. His shivering heart was covered in snow, and it bore the desire for death. It was still creating a rhythm within his body, but it wasn't a true rhythm; it was a dirge, a song of everlasting pain. His entire body was covered in black snow...but he had no desire to remove it. He was a truly a part of the world he had created...and didn't want to stain his previous world any longer. He had ruined his chance at love...and felt as if he had no right to earn another.

Cold winds whipped over him, but he bestowed no warmth upon himself. He saw himself as a cold, bitter monster...a monster that deserved endless ice. In his eyes, he was no more than a **_beast, _**a creature that had tainted humanity. Sunlight was calling out to him...but the endless snow was so comforting...so **_right..._**

"_**YUKI!"**_

That sorrowful, desperate cry pierced the skies...but it was a gentle zephyr of forgotten sunlight. He refused to acknowledge it, for it was no more than a dream, a mirage of bliss and purity...

"_**YUKI! YUKI, ANSWER ME! PLEASE!"**_

The cries continued, and they covered his shivering heart. More tears tore themselves from his eyes...as he continued to ignore each cry...

"_**YUKI! WAKE UP, PLEASE! PLEASE DON'T GO!"**_

A dream was calling out to him, crying...shedding eternal tears of pain. It was a dream he had once held...the dream he had tormented...

"_**DON'T GO, YUKI! PLEASE!"**_

He didn't want to return. He had no right to do so.

Love was calling out to him, crying...

_**...but he didn't deserve it.**_

A soft hand grabbed his and **_squeezed it. _**Pristine, moonlit tears descended from love...and they embraced the sleeping prince's face. The eyes of the prince's dream were radiant, filled with immeasurable pain...and his voice was no different...

"_**IT'S ME, SHUICHI! CAN'T YOU HEAR ME, YUKI?"**_

More tears removed themselves from Eiri's eyes, which caused the songbird to break down in sobs. Tohma and Hiroshi immediately came to his assistance, and gave him the strength he needed to stand once again. The songbird's loyal friends watched him, drowning in their own tears...right along with the doctors. Oceans were coursing from Shuichi's eyes...breaking his heart...

"Don't go...please don't go...I don't _want _you to go...don't leave me alone..."

_I don't want you to go..._

_Don't leave me..._

He removed oceans from his eyes, which only brought _more _oceans. A weak, fragile smile spread across his face...but it was a tiny, delicate smile...

"Yuki, it's okay. Everything's okay now. I'm fine now. We can go back home, back to Tokyo. I won't bother you so much anymore, I promise. I'll try harder! I'll even become a better cook, and I'll clean and do lots of stuff, so you can write your stories! We can start all over, together! But you have to wake up first, _so I can give you your 'good morning' hug! _"

Those words caused _K_ to break into soft sobs. There wasn't a dry eye in the house; the new 'Sleeping Beauty' was breaking **_everyone's _**heart.

The smile on Shuichi's face began to wilt, and so did the happiness of his voice...

"After you wake up...I'll take you home, okay? We'll go home and start all over...and do lots of things. Just...Yuki..."

The songbird's voice broke, which sent two male doctors into hysterical wails.

"...I don't want you to go. If you go, I'll be all alone again...**_and I don't want that to happen!_** I love you, Yuki; **_I've always loved you, and I'll never be able to love anyone else! I love you more than I've EVER loved you! I understand everything now, and I WANT US TO GO HOME!"_**

A loud sob ripped itself from his chest, and brought him to his knees. Hiro and Suguru embraced their beloved band member, instantly followed by the other loyal knights. All of them held each other...crying...

"_This is all my fault...all my fault...if I had never left him he'd be okay..."_

_I'm so sorry, Yuki..._

"I did this to him...everything's my fault..."

_**All my fault...**_

A gentle, frail voice drifted into the cold air...and followed the songbird's cries...

"No it's not. It isn't your fault."

A cold gasp rose from Shuichi's throat, and his eyes widened with hope. The eyes of his devoted friends also widened, each of them radiant with immoderate apprehension. Several of them exchanged glances with each other...as Shuichi slowly rose to his feet once again. He looked upon the face of his prince...and felt his heart **_stop._**

"_**YUKI!"**_

More sobs removed themselves from his heart, and rivers coursed down his body...

"Yuki...oh Yuki, you're awake...you heard me...I'm so happy..."

The prince slowly placed a hand on the songbird's face, and brushed away shimmering tears. An infinitely warm, jubilant smile drifted into his cold soul, and filled his heart with undeniable happiness...

"I'm so glad you're awake...I missed you..."

Eiri continued to stroke Shuichi's cheek. His eyes were small slits, but they were filled with the essence of true, everlasting love.

_**They were also filled with eternal sadness.**_

"I'm sorry...so sorry, Shuichi. You're crying again...all because of me..."

A tiny smile lit up the vocalist's face. "No no...it's...you're not doing _anything! _I was just...so sad...I thought you'd never wake up..."

"I don't want to wake up. I want you to leave me...so I can rest...in the world I belong in. I can't be near you, Shuichi..."

"Why not?" the young songbird asked, his voice hoarse with tears...

"I don't deserve you. All I ever did...was make you cry..."

"_**No! No, that's not true! THAT'S NOT TRUE AT ALL!"**_

"Yes it is...Shu-chan." the prince said softly, sobs racking _his _body. "All I ever did...was bring you pain. I...I love you...I've **_always _**loved you, Shuichi...but...I was just...too afraid...to let you know..."

"It's okay. It's okay, Yuki. Everything's fine now. We can start over!"

"I...don't want to. I don't want you...to be near me anymore. You filled my days with happiness...you filled them with miracles I thought I'd never see...but I brushed them all off. All of your smiles, your songs...you gave me so much...and I blew it all off..."

"_**It's okay! We can go back home and start over!"**_

"I can't. It's not that easy, Shu-chan. I've ruined everything...and I don't deserve a chance to get it back. You gave your heart to me...and I _crushed it. _You told me...you loved me...over and over again...but I never said it...once..."

Shuichi gently placed a hand on Eiri's cheek, his eyes glimmering with the purity of a sunrise. "I understand everything now." he said softly, his voice as delicate as a spring breeze. His voice tone surprised his audience, for it wasn't a tone that would have been applied to someone so young. It was the tone of a wise mentor, a guiding beacon. Even though tears were still causing his body to tremble, he was able to speak with the tenderness of wisdom.

"It's okay. Tohma told me everything. I know now. That's why I love you even more than I did before, Yuki."

The prince's shaky voice became hoarse, even though it was as soft as a butterfly's wing. It took on the qualities of a broken child, a child that was afraid to expose his heart to truth. His eyes were moist with sorrow, filled with a beauty that had never been exposed before. Their audience members now felt as if they were watching 'Beauty and Beast'; their budding relationship had a lot of enchanting qualities to it. Suguru, who had never felt such high emotions in his life, was an emotional kitten; tears were streaming from his eyes like waterfalls, and each waterfall was as beautiful as a star. The doctors within hearing range were no different; none of them had ever been exposed to such a beautiful tale, and so none of their eyes were dry. The other members of the audience were drowning in tears, their eyes shimmering with hope. Even Claude K. Winchester couldn't keep a smile from his face, and gentle rivers were falling from his eyes as well. He felt a little sheepish, right along with Suguru, but accepting the truth was a lot better than brushing it away. There wasn't any room for embarrassment; true love was blooming, and it was a miraculous treasure.

Eiri's eyes looked as if they were carved from pure gold. If sunlight had been present, they would have turned into golden diamonds. They were paintings, delicate paintings of sunlit oceans. The oceans within his eyes were resting in harbors, radiant with the fragile breezes of unborn hope. Stars were falling into them, and they too were alive with unshed hope. Fear, however, was present among the light, and it refused to release its grip. The events of his past were still alive in his mind, and he was afraid they'd become his _future._

"I can't tell you...how much I wanted to hold you. I've dreamt of you, so many times...and I fell for you as soon as I saw you. I'm just...afraid I'll keep on hurting you...but I love you, Shuichi...I love you so much..."

"He's staying within his own prison...just so he can protect Shuichi. Interesting." K murmured to Ark, wiping rivers from his eyes. His voice had its normal qualities about it, but it was a little shaky due to his tears. His partner smiled at him, his eyes filled with their normal admiration. "You think so?" he said, speaking like an officer in an investigation. "I think it's sad. He's tormenting himself!"

"You went through so much because of me, and I'll never be able to forgive myself. I'm...I'm so sorry..."

The songbird gently placed a kiss on his prince's lips, and then a streak of red bloomed across his face. Ayaka melted as soon as she saw it; he just looked too cute for words. The same streak bloomed on Eiri's face, but for a different reason. The prince didn't expect such a simple, passionate response.

"You don't have to torture yourself anymore! Everything's fine! I know you've been through a lot, but...the future is just around the corner! I've forgiven you, and I want to face the **_rest _**of my days with you, Yuki! We'll face whatever comes next, **_together!"_**

A smile passed between Tohma and K. Youthful fear fell onto Eiri's face, and gave him the look of an innocent child. "Shu-chan," he said, feeling as if he were about to witness a tremendous discovery. "are you _sure _about this?" he finished, and received the cutest smile.

"_**YEAH! **I've never be so sure of anything before in my life!"_

The passion within Shuichi's voice brought even more tears from Eiri's eyes. A smile slowly bloomed on the prince's face, and it brightened his eyes even more. "Thank you." he whispered, dangerously on the verge of tears. "Thank you...Shuichi..."

The two of them fell into an embrace that melted **_everyone's _**hearts. Warm smiles broke out amongst the audience, and warmed the cold room. All of them felt as if they were witnessing the greatest miracle, and they _were. **They were witnessing the birth of true, everlasting love.**_

The songbird and prince were locked within their first true kiss. Their bodies were gently tied against each other, and their hearts were softly pounding against each other. They were once cold, and lost within darkness...but now they were together, drowning in the sunlit warmth of newborn happiness. Promises, vows and dreams blossomed within that one, lonely kiss...and each dream etched itself into the future, shimmering with prosperity. Both of them had spent their days in confusion, agony and sorrow...but now...

...they were together.

_**They were finally together.**_

Golden silence kept them together for an eternity, then they broke away from each other. The songbird's face had a wide, childlike smile upon it; he looked as if he had just uncovered the most precious treasure. The prince's face was a painting of embarrassment and happiness; he looked as if he had just stolen a kiss from a secret crush. **_Both _**of them were too cute for words.

"_**Yay! We're all right now! I'm so happy!"**_

"Yeah, I _bet _you are, Shuichi." Ryuichi Sakuma said gently, removing tears from his eyes. Cheers followed his words, accompanied by passionate applause. Every individual within the audience broke out into ecstasy, and they emitted their happiness through their unique personalities. Two doctors pierced the air with enthusiastic cheers, others gave ardent words of happiness. If someone had said there was a wedding taking place in Eiri's room, they wouldn't have been too far from the mark. The room was anything _but _an operating room.

During the applause, the newborn couple received hugs and kisses. Happiness didn't just come from their friends; it came from the doctors as well. Three doctors launched into stories of their own relationships, and shared reveries with each other about long-lost passion. Stories were born within the small room, and they soared throughout the cold hospital...warming each and every soul within it. Happiness fell upon every heart, took each soul and danced with it.

"_**It took you guys long enough! Sheesh!"**_

"Lighten up, Suguru! The road to true love is _never _an easy one!"

"Isn't it 'the path to love is never smooth'?"

"No, it's 'the course of true love never did run smooth'."

"K, you've become quite the smarty-pants!"

"_**You guys are too cute! I wish you the best of luck!"**_

"_Way to go, you two! Congratulations!"_

"Ah, Shindou-sama...you lucky soul. How I wish I could be in your place. Ah, to savor a blissful kiss from the sweet Eiri-_ow!"_

Hiroshi Nakano laughed at the shocked Seguchi, who had just received a hit from an unexpected source. "Too bad for you, pal!" he said merrily, his eyes twinkling with sunlight. "Eiri's 'out of bounds' now! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Can you believe it?" Reiji cried out ecstatically, smothering Shuichi in a joyous embrace. **_"Can you guys believe it? We're done! We made it!"_**

The band of faithful knights released a passionate cry of triumph, which earned them a playful 'quiet down' from a nearby nurse. Embarrassment struck several of the knights, but Hiroshi was unwilling to restrain his excitement. He stole the songbird from Reiji and brought him into another embrace, one that was tight enough to suffocate him.

"_This is great! We're all back together! We've got things back under control! We're all right!"_

"_Hiro, cut it out! I can't breathe! Lemme go!"_

"_TOO BAD! We're not letting you out of our sight EVER AGAIN! YOU HEAR ME?"_

"Hiro, quit it. Talk about 'out of bounds'! The princess belongs to the _prince, _not to one of the prince's _peons!"_

Hiroshi instantly turned on the speaker, his eyes alive with playful wrath. Tohma gently removed Shuichi from the guitarist's grasp, giving him a chance to reunite with Eiri.

"_**Stuff it, dear brother of mine!"**_

"_**I'll have your head removed if you steal Juliet!"**_

"Shuichi," Eiri said warmly, his voice drifting into the songbird's ear. He received another jubilant smile as a response.

"Once we get home, I'll have to hire a chef."

The smile wilted. **_"Why?"_**

"Well, your cooking isn't exactly the best. I'd rather eat frozen ramen instead of your cooking."

"_**YOU'RE MEAN! I TRY MY HARDEST! I REALLY DO! YOU SHOULD APPRECIATE MY COOKING!"**_

"You mean your _attempts _at cooking? Or should I say your attempts to kill me?"

Claude K.Winchester listened to the banter that took place, his heart filled with warm happiness. He realized something; their relationship still carried quarrels within it, but the future didn't hold painful arguments. Their current argument was a playful one, nothing like the arguments of the past...and their future was going to be filled with even more fun.

"_I never tried to kill you! And you know what? I LIKE COOKING, SO THERE!"_

"Fine. I guess I'll have to spend the rest of my life eating dirt."

"_You can sleep outside while you're at it! Talk to the bugs!"_

"You can't kick me out of my own house, Shu-chan."

"_**Waah! I wish you'd stop being so mean to me!"**_

A smile passed between Tohma Seguchi and K...as the prince took the songbird into his arms.

A wave of sunlight filled Tohma's heart...and renewed the song of hope. He looked upon his beloved prince, his eyes filled with tears...his body shivering with sobs.

"You've been healed, Eiri."

_The two of you have a loooong future ahead of you...but I know...you'll be all right._

The prince had spent a thousand years in darkness, filled with pain and sorrow...

...but a songbird rescued him, and brought him into a new age...

...an age filled with love.

* * *

This isn't the end, my friends! I've got the epilogue coming soon, so be prepared! I LOVED THIS CHAPTER, DIDN'T YOU GUYS?

I HOPE YOU'RE ALL SATISFIED. I had originally planned on killing Eiri...JUST KIDDING! Happy ending for everyone! Yay!


	18. Rebirth

HI! Welcome to 'Rebirth', the finale of 'Kakumei'! I'd like to give a very warm hug to all of my readers, and I hope all of you stay tuned for more of my Gravitation tales! This was my first entry in this category, and you know what? I was really nervous when this first began. I really though I wouldn't do well...until a certain reviewer brought me hope! All because of my very dear friend, I continued 'Kakumei' and it obviously turned out to be a hit! I didn't think I'd receive such a tremendous amount of enthusiasm! Right on my first try, too!

I almost gave up on this. I know what it's like to be in a 'review slump'; when there aren't a lot of reviews, you don't think anyone's going to read your work. My pal cheered me up, and I got a lot of good friends in the end! I'm so happy that all of you read my first Gravitation fic!

I'm glad 'Aftermath' went well! I hope all of you listened to sappy music while you read it! Hee hee. I hope the epilogue tops everything well, and here's something else; at the end of 'Rebirth', I'll share the details of my next Gravitation fic with you. I'm so excited!

_**Thank you all very much! Thank you!

* * *

**_

_Theme of 'Rebirth': 'Can't Take It In' by the Great Imogen Heap_

_Weightless in love...unraveling  
For all that's to come  
and all that's ever been  
We're back to the board  
with every shade under the sun  
Let's make it a good one...

* * *

_

Days elapsed, and brought about the return of sunlight.

Eiri Uesugi and Shuichi Shindou became household names throughout New York. The duel that occurred within the Empire State Building etched itself into the city's seams as a newborn fairy tale, and captured the hearts of every New York resident. Smiles and embraces accompanied the arrival of the tale; the winds of true love emerged from the core of the city, and swept through the hearts of every individual. Children, adults and even old ones shared the tale, their eyes radiant with childlike merriment. The city had never known such warmth before, and it was savoring every dream of eternal love. Couples were born, bonds were strengthened; even family ties increased their power. Family love became as important as romance.

The media became infatuated with 'Romeo' and 'Juliet'. In a flash, Claude K. Winchester was assaulted with countless offers; offers from reality shows, talk shows, news channels, publishing corporations and movie studios. Everyone wanted a piece of New York's fairy tale, and they were ready to kill for a piece. The media was notorious for its recklessness; it never failed to get a piece of hot action. The name 'Bad Luck' naturally followed Shuichi's reign, which was expected, for the young songbird was Bad Luck's vocalist. K made arrangements for their music to be shared with America, and as soon as his decision hit the airwaves, fireworks struck the skies.

Eiri's career wasn't left out of the ring. His identity as a novelist was quickly uncovered, and the prince immediately received an enormous fan base. All of his newborn fans instantly fell in love with him, but there was one thing that made everything excruciatingly intense; his nickname, Romeo. The concepts of romance and passion naturally followed that revered name, and so it turned out to be a tremendous attachment to Eiri Uesugi's name. The abrupt explosion of affection was irritating at first, but then it was slowly accepted the novelist. His work hadn't been carried to the US yet, but he was already a prince among the literary world...and that made him happy. In the past, he didn't care too much about his work. His novels were mechanical productions, things that were only produced through simple motions...but now, he was ready. He was ready to face the world with his true skill; he felt as if he could have carved masterpieces.

January 16th, 2006.

The songbird was reunited with his home; Tokyo, Japan. His loyal knights went about their ways, but none of them failed to give an emotional speech. Of course their 'goodbyes' weren't permanent, but their return to Japan brought forth strong emotions. The blissful celebration occurred within the airport, where so much pain had taken place. Hiroshi Nakano, Suguru Fujisaki, Ryuichi Sakuma, Ayaka Usami and the others embraced the newborn couple, their eyes filled with oceans...their hearts filled with hope. Claude K. Winchester received ardent appreciation, for his wisdom had led all of them through despair. His most passionate embrace came from Shuichi; the two of them became solid family members within their embrace. Shuichi became K's little brother, and was playfully reunited with K's precious 'friends'. In the midst of the joyous return, another friendship sealed itself; the friendship between Hiroshi and Eiri. During the vibrant embrace between Shuichi and K, the prince pulled his rival to the side...and sealed vows of love.

"_I know I'm not perfect. I'll continue to make mistakes, but I'll learn from them. I know I don't deserve Shuichi, but...I love him. I'll do whatever I can to keep him happy. I'd rather die than bring tears to his eyes again. I'll take care of him, I promise. You can stake your life on that."_

His words brought tears to Hiro's eyes. He had become fond of the novelist, and loved his noble actions. The two of them made a truce, and Hiro decided to become a firm supporter of the newborn couple. That decision sealed his friendship with Tohma Seguchi, who was already an enthusiastic supporter.

Another seed of love planted itself. Tatsuha Uesugi and Ryuichi Sakuma had become close to each other, and decided to embark down the path of newborn love with the other couple. Eiri playfully opposed the new pairing, but Shuichi merrily congratulated the two with a typical 'Shuichi' response; the vocalist planted tight hugs on both of them. Mika Uesugi, who had delivered her baby on the 15th, contacted her husband, and the two of them exchanged joyous news. An overjoyed Tohma passed his phone to Eiri, who greeted her with warm words. A short conversation occurred between them, but it was a conversation that restored their relationship. For the very first time, Eiri became Mika's brother...and Mika became his sister. New beginnings were abundant; that made itself perfectly obvious.

Eiri voiced his concerns about Shuichi's condition to K. The novelist knew his 'Shu-chan' had endured sexual abuse, and was secretly worried about him. The songbird was bouncing about in his usual manner, but the prince had endured pain himself...and that pain had brought about an eternity of suffering. The loyal, fatherly officer gave him warm advice...and sent him on his way with a silent hug. The officer had become fiercely fond of Eiri; their bond was born within their chaotic flight to the Empire State Building, and K had nurtured it ever since. Eiri, in return, became fond of him...and placed him in his heart as a brother.

Japan learned of the battle as soon as New York did. All of Bad Luck's fans joyously embraced the return of their beloved vocalist; their reactions were quite similar to New York's. Articles, talk shows and news reports swept through the streets of Japan, and lightened heavy hearts. Of course, Japan didn't apply the nicknames 'Romeo' and 'Juliet' to the newborn couple; Eiri and Shuichi received nicknames that came from their own tale of love. News fans of Bad Luck were created among the joyous reunion, and Eiri received more fans as well.

The couple's return to their castle was a blissful one. Before Shuichi had a chance to pounce on anything, Eiri unlocked the door to their home, swept the songbird into his arms and carried him into the house. That small decision brought about a warm smile from the songbird; his prince had decided to carry him...the way a groom carried a bride into a new home. They spent an eternity in silence...and absorbed the weight of their new future. Both of them thought they would never look upon their home again...but they were in its warmth, under the protection of security and comfort. The expiration of the silence sent Shuichi into his room; the songbird blissfully reunited himself with familiar surroundings. However, the prince silently kept himself within the living room...and absorbed even more silence.

_His dream had finally come true._

Two minutes brought Shuichi from his bedroom. The passionate vocalist looked upon his silent prince...and instantly found tears in his eyes. There was a beautiful, ethereal smile upon the prince's face...and his eyes had taken on the form of golden diamonds. The novelist gazed into the eyes of his 'Juliet' for an eternity...and both of their hearts fell into a rapturous union.

After an eternity of fervent silence, the prince merrily rushed up the stairs, took his blushing songbird into his arms...and made a decision.

"That room you just came from..."

"What about it?"

"Well, it isn't yours anymore."

"_It's **not? **Yuki, I thought-"_

"You're moving in with **me. **I'm turning that back into the guest room."

"_**REALLY!"**_

"_Really really."_

A long, idyllic kiss ensued...and soared throughout time for several minutes. However, the prince was unwilling to let their reunion end with a simple kiss.

"I'll let you get used to your new room now. I think I should become reacquainted with it myself."

Eiri Uesugi gave a gentle kiss to Shuichi Shindou's nose, swept him into his arms, entered their new bedroom...and closed the door.

After a long, painful journey...

...**_they were finally home.

* * *

_**

Here ends my first Gravitation tale; a tale of self-discovery, anguish, love and hope. I enjoyed Eiri and Shuichi's journey...and I'm glad all of you enjoyed it with me. This experience wouldn't have been complete without all of you...so thank you for sharing 'Kakumei' with me. I hope I tied up any lose ends; if I didn't, feel free to harass me! Just kidding...

I'm already in the process of creating my next Gravitation fic. It'll be a fusion of Final Fantasy: Advent Children, Xenosaga, Chobits, Matrix and Fifth Element; IT'LL BE TREMENDOUS! I HOPE ALL OF YOU ENJOY, YESSIREE! I'll start it, with a new pen name and everything! YES YES, MY CURRENT PEN NAME IS BORING ME. I KNOW I'M BAD WITH KEEPING ONE PEN NAME!

**Thank you for sharing my first journey with me. I wish all of you love, happiness and prosperity. May Gravitation live on forever!**

_**Take care...and thank you.**_


End file.
